Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27

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 data represents the overall population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. Meanwhile the other two tables display the delta of the population accross five different districts in the same tenure.

Overall, the total population of New York City increased drastically in the given period. Furthermore, the percentage ratio of population in district Manhattan decreased overtime.In contrast the population percantage increased in other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island).

In the first table, the accumulated population of five districts of New York city is displayed. In 1800, the combine population of all districts is almost 80,000 people. The number increase from 80,000 to around 3.44 million in the next hundred years or in early 1900's. In next century (In 2000) the recoreded population is just above 8 million. Throughout the given period, the population percentage increment is around 100%.

In table 2 and 3, the percentage population of total population of Manhattan and other districts are presented. The data shows that the percentage population of district Manhattan is decreased over the time having 76%, 54% and 19% of total population in year 1800, 1900 and 2000, respectively.While the population accross other districts increased from 24% to 46% and then to 81% of the total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main trends accurately: New York City’s population rose substantially, Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19%, and the other districts’ share increased from 24% to 81%. The overview is relevant, and the response includes key figures for all three years. However, some important information is less fully reported: the total population figures are rounded, and the striking change in Manhattan’s actual population—rising to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000—is not explained. The statement that the population percentage increment was “around 100%” is also unclear and does not accurately describe the overall change. More precise comparisons between the totals and district figures would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the total population and district shares. This makes the main information easy to locate, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “While” help signal comparisons. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “In the first table” is followed by a repeated description of what the table shows, rather than a direct comparison of its figures. The phrase “In next century” also makes the sequence less smooth. Improve progression by grouping related changes and using clearer references, while avoiding repeated introductions to the tables.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “overall population,” “percentage,” “increased drastically,” and “decreased over the time.” These choices communicate the main trends, but several inaccurate or unnatural expressions limit precision. “Delta of the population” is not an appropriate way to describe changes, and “percentage population” is awkward; “population share” would be clearer. There are also spelling errors, including “accross,” “percantage,” “recoreded,” and “combine.” Some wording is repetitive, particularly repeated references to “population” and “table.” Use accurate collocations and check spelling to make the report more natural and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “While the population across other districts increased…” and the overview beginning “Overall.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are noticeable. For example, “The number increase” needs a past-tense verb, and “the percentage population … is decreased” uses an incorrect verb construction. The sentence beginning “In next century” also needs an article and clearer sentence structure. Missing spaces after full stops, as in “overtime.In contrast” and “respectively.While,” interrupt the flow. Review tense consistency, articles, and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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