Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-30

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 table 1 show the total population of New York city in the year from 1800 to 2000 while the 2nd and 3rd table shows the population in different districts of New York city during the year.

The numbers shows that the population in all five districts continiusly increase in all three decades. Most of population belongs to Manhattan district while other four have less percentage of overall population.

The percentage of citizens were decrease in Manhattan area as it was 76% of total residents in 1800 then lower to 54% in 1900 and furthur comes down to only 19% in 2000. On the other hand, inhabitants increase in other four districts that was 24% in 1800, 46% in 1900 and went to highest level of 81% in 2000.

By analyzing the data, we may say that peoples were migrating from Manhattan division to other sectors like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast in the tables: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ combined share rises from 24% to 81%. This gives the response a relevant overview, and the percentages reported are accurate. However, the overview is partly unclear: “Most of population belongs to Manhattan” is true only in 1800 and 1900, not in 2000. The tables also show that the city’s total population rose substantially, but you do not report any total-population figures. The claim that people were migrating from Manhattan is not established by the tables; they show changing population distribution, not the cause. Select and report the overall growth and the shift in population share more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable progression: it introduces the tables, gives a general statement, compares the districts’ percentages, and ends with an interpretation. Phrases such as “On the other hand” help signal the contrast. However, the first two sentences repeat the task description rather than moving directly into the key trends, and the final sentence introduces a cause that is not supported by the data. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “the numbers” and “that” are not always precise. Organise the report into a concise introduction, a clear overview, and a paragraph comparing the figures, using explicit references to Manhattan and the combined other districts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing population and proportions, including “percentage,” “total residents,” “inhabitants,” and “increase.” The meaning is generally understandable, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a data report. “Most of population belongs to Manhattan” is an awkward way to describe a population share, while “went to highest level” and “peoples were migrating” are imprecise. There are also spelling errors in “continiusly” and “furthur.” Aim for more precise collocations and avoid implying a cause that the tables do not demonstrate. For example, describe the other districts’ combined share as rising rather than saying their inhabitants “increase” when discussing percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “On the other hand” and the clause beginning “as it was 76%.” The main comparisons remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. In “The table 1 show” and “the 2nd and 3rd table shows,” the subject and verb do not agree; “The numbers shows” has the same issue. The phrase “the percentage of citizens were decrease” has an incorrect verb construction, and “that was 24%” does not agree clearly with its plural reference. Articles and sentence structure also need attention. Check subject–verb agreement and use consistent forms such as “the share decreased” and “the other districts’ share increased.”

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.