Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-24

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 presents information on the total population in New York City from 1800 to 2000, while the second and third tables demonstrate changes in the population of the five districts of the city over the given time period. The data is represented as percentages.

Overall, in the year 2000 recorded the highest population figure in the first table, particularly in the other districts except Manhattan, as shown in the second table. However, Manhattan recorded the lowest total of 19% in the same year.

On the one hand, in the year 1800 , the population accounted for all five districts was 79,216 which was marked lowest , compared with 8,[redacted phone] for 2000. There was a positive trend shown in the year 1900, with about 3,[redacted phone] accounted for in the total population count.

On the other hand, In the second table, Manhattan recorded a downturn in population contribution, where the year 1800 stood at 76% of the total count. Furthermore, it decreased to 54% in 1900 when compared to its lowest in 2000, which was about 19%. Turning to the remaining data in the third table, other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island showed a rise in their contribution to the population, highest in 2000 when compared to the lowest in 1800, at about 24%. Additionally it contributed well in the year 1900 which was nearly half of the population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main comparisons across the tables: the city’s total population rises to its highest point in 2000, Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, and the other districts’ share grows from 24% to 81%. These are relevant features, and the overview identifies the broad shift away from Manhattan. However, some details are unclear or incomplete. The total figures are written as “8,009185” and “3,437202,” making them difficult to interpret, and the response does not report Manhattan’s actual population, which rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096. Clarify the figures and distinguish population totals from percentages to make the comparisons more fully informative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing the total population and district shares. Phrases such as “Overall,” “On the one hand,” and “Turning to” help signal movement between points. However, some linking is mechanical or does not express the relationship clearly; “On the one hand” is not followed by a contrasting “on the other hand” in the same comparison, and “Furthermore” introduces another stage in a decline rather than a distinct supporting point. The overview’s sentence beginning “in the year 2000 recorded” also makes the subject unclear. Group the figures more deliberately and use transitions that show whether you are comparing years, totals, or shares.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing data, including “population contribution,” “downturn,” “rise,” and “highest.” This allows you to communicate the main trends, and the wording is generally relevant to the task. Some choices are imprecise or repetitive, however. “The data is represented as percentages” is misleading because the first table gives population totals, while the other table includes both counts and percentages. “Contributed well” is also vague, and “positive trend” does not specify the increase clearly. Use precise terms such as “population share,” “accounted for,” and “increased,” and avoid repeating “recorded” when a more direct verb would make the comparison clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while,” “where,” and “when,” and most of the intended meaning can be followed. Some grammatical errors nevertheless make parts of the response awkward or unclear. For example, “Overall, in the year 2000 recorded the highest population figure” lacks a clear subject, and “the population accounted for all five districts was 79,216” needs a relative clause such as “the population across all five districts, which was 79,216.” There are also inconsistent capitalisation and punctuation choices, such as “In” after “On the other hand” and spaces before commas. Check sentence subjects and clause structure, then proofread punctuation and spacing.

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