Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 6.0)

The first table changes in population of new york city between 1800 to 2000. The subsequent tables depict changes in population of manhattan, brooklyn, bronx, queens, and staten island from 1800 and 2000.

Overall, Manhattan had the highest population of all the dictricts in 1800, but by 2000, other districts crossed manhatten in population, making them highest in term of percentage. The population of New york increased exponantially over the years.

If we look at new york as a whole, It had a population of 79,216 in 1800, which increased over the century, reaching 3,437,202. By 2000, total population of new york was 8,009,185 reaching its peak. Manhattan in 1800, had the 60,515 people living in it, which was 76% of new york's total population, making it the highest among all districts. It remained largest in terms of population over the next century and in 1900 it reached 1,850,093 which consists of 54% of total population of new york. It then declined in population compared to other districts, and it had only 19% of the new york's population (1,538,096) in 2000.

In contrast to Manhattan, Population in other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) was lowest in 1800, which was only 24%(18,701) of the total population in 1800. Than, there was massive rise in population in these districts in the 19th and 20th century, and in 1900 and 2000, they reached 1,587,109 (46%) and 6,471,089 (81%) in population respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main changes and give a clear overview: Manhattan dominated in 1800, while the other districts accounted for a much larger share by 2000, alongside strong overall city growth. The figures you report for all three years are accurate, and the comparison between Manhattan and the combined other districts is relevant. This is a solid account of the tables, though some details are less fully developed: for example, the other districts’ rise is described broadly rather than comparing its scale with Manhattan’s decline. Also, “increased exponentially” overstates what three data points establish; “rose substantially” would be more cautious. To strengthen the response further, make the overview more precise and distinguish population totals from percentage shares consistently.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the city total and the district comparison. The progression from 1800 to 2000 is generally easy to follow, and links such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “By 2000” help signal relationships. This gives the report a coherent structure. However, some connections are mechanical or imprecise, particularly the repeated “If we look at” and “Than,” and the long Manhattan paragraph combines several stages without much internal signposting. The opening also says the district tables cover 1800 and 2000, although the discussion includes 1900. Use more varied, accurate transitions and group the figures by clear comparisons to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main trends, including “population,” “declined,” “percentage,” and “massive rise.” However, the range and control are uneven, which limits precision. Several expressions are awkward or inaccurate for formal data reporting: “crossed Manhattan in population” and “making them highest in term of percentage” are unclear, while “reached its peak” is not the most precise way to describe the final total. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “dictricts,” “manhatten,” and “exponantially.” These do not prevent understanding, but they weaken the report’s accuracy and polish. Choose standard collocations for describing increases and shares, and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses such as “which increased over the century” and contrastive structures beginning “In contrast to Manhattan.” Most of the data remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “between 1800 to 2000” uses an incorrect preposition pattern, and “the 60,515 people” has an unnecessary article. In “which consists of 54%,” the verb form does not fit the past-time context, while “Than, there was massive rise” has both a faulty transition and a missing article. Capitalisation and comma placement are also inconsistent. Review articles, prepositions, and past-tense agreement, then check each sentence for a complete, correctly punctuated structure.

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