Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-20

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The first table below shows changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The data provided in the form of tables give information about the population in the New York City and its five districts in the last three centuries from 1800 to 2000.

The total population of New York City continuously increased with every passing century. The data show rise in population from 79,200 to 8,009,185 in years 1800 to 2000. In the 19th century the rise in population was bigger than in 20th century. The population of the New York City increased by more than four times in 19th century while it was approximately doubled in the 20th century.

The data provided in the lower two tables gives information about districts. The Manhattan district holding the greatest percentage of population (76%) in the year 1800 and four other districts shared accomulative percentage of 24% in the same year. In the year 2000 the results were opposite, Manhattan showed only 19% population while the other four districts including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, andStaten Island showed the population of 81%. The gradual decrease in percentage of population in Manhattan district can be seen but still rice in number of people from 60,515 to [redacted phone] from 1800 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall pattern: New York City’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share grew. The comparison between 1800 and 2000 is relevant, and you also note that Manhattan’s population increased in absolute terms despite its declining share. However, some key information is less fully covered: the 1900 district figures and shares are omitted, and the overview does not clearly highlight that the city’s total population was highest in 2000 or that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 before falling. The statement that growth was “more than four times” in the 19th century is inaccurate; the total rose from about 79,000 to 3.44 million, far more than fourfold. More precise reporting and coverage of all three dates would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on the citywide total, and a paragraph comparing Manhattan with the other districts. This makes the main topic easy to follow, and phrases such as “In the year 2000” help signal the time comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, with repeated openings such as “The data…” and “The population…”. The 1800-to-2000 comparison is clear, but the missing 1900 stage leaves the account of change incomplete and weakens the sequence across the period. Some references are also imprecise, for example “the results were opposite,” which requires the reader to infer exactly which shares are being contrasted. Use clearer linking and organise the figures consistently by year.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends and comparisons, including “increased,” “rise,” “percentage,” “gradual decrease,” and “approximately doubled.” These choices communicate the general patterns, and terms such as “district” and “population” are appropriate to the task. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “holding the greatest percentage” is less natural than “accounting for the largest share,” while “shared accomulative percentage” does not express the intended meaning clearly. “Rice” appears to be a spelling error for “rise,” and “in the last three centuries” is misleading for a period spanning 1800–2000. Aim for precise trend language and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “The population … increased by more than four times … while it was approximately doubled.” Most of the intended meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors persist. For example, “The data … give information about the population in the New York City” has an unnecessary article before the city name, and “The data provided in the lower two tables gives” has subject–verb disagreement because “data” is treated as plural in the response’s earlier usage. The phrase “Manhattan district holding the greatest percentage” is also an incomplete clause, and “still … in number of people” lacks a clear grammatical construction. Work on complete sentence structures, agreement, and articles while retaining your attempts at complex comparisons.

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