Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-22

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 tanbles compares all the variation in population of New York and its districts Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island respectively for three centuries.

Overall, in the beginning majority of the population risided mostly in Manhattan, over time it changed inversely as most of the people now lives in other districts, which shows equal distribution.

Regarding from 1800 to 1900, populaton in New York rose from 80000 to 3,5 million. In the regards to proportion of total population Manhattan decreased from 76% to 54%, while other districts has risen from 24% to 46%. Whereas in population, Manhattan increased by 30 times and other districts had the best increase in population by almost 100 times. Which clearly indicates there were some migration to other districts.

From 1900 to 2000, population in New York has become 8 million. In contrast percentage wise all of the districts in New York has an average figure of 20% each, while in population Manhattan shockingly declined in number to 1.5 million, whereas other districts became 6.5 million in total.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the central change accurately: Manhattan held most of the population in 1800, but the other districts together accounted for the clear majority by 2000. You also report the overall rise and the main population and percentage figures for both periods. However, some comparisons are imprecise or unclear. The claim that the districts had “an average figure of 20% each” is not supported by the table, which gives a combined 81% for the four other districts, not an individual share for each. The statement that the distribution became “equal” also overstates the change. Develop the overview around the contrast between Manhattan’s declining share and the other districts’ growth, and distinguish combined figures from individual district data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs comparing the periods before and after 1900. Time markers such as “Regarding from 1800 to 1900” and “From 1900 to 2000” help the reader follow the sequence, and contrasts between Manhattan and the other districts are generally easy to identify. This coherent arrangement is a strength. Some links are awkward or make relationships less clear, however, including “Whereas in population” and the sentence beginning “Which clearly indicates”. The overview’s “which shows equal distribution” also does not clearly connect to the figures. Use more natural transitions and make each sentence’s comparison explicit; this would make the progression smoother and cohesion less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “proportion”, “declined”, “increased”, and “in contrast”, and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. There is some attempt at more specific language, such as “by almost 100 times”. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “all the variation in population”, “the best increase”, and “an average figure” do not express the intended data relationships precisely. Spelling errors such as “tanbles”, “risided”, and “populaton” are also noticeable. Aim for accurate, conventional chart language and check spelling; for example, describe a “rise in population” or a “share of the total” rather than using less natural combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “while” and “whereas”, and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, tense, sentence construction, and punctuation recur. For example, “most of the people now lives” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “other districts has risen” also uses the wrong verb form. “Which clearly indicates there were some migration” is an incomplete sentence and has an agreement error. The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Practise building complete sentences around one comparison at a time, and check subject–verb agreement and consistent past-tense reporting of the historical data.

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