Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02

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 illustrates the changes in total population of New York from 1800 to 2000, while the other two tables show us the changes in pupulation of five districts ( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) of New York City over the same period.

Overall, it can be seen that the overall population of New York City has increased with the passage of time.

The first table shows the total population of all five districts of New York City started with 79,216 in 1800 .Morever, in 1900 it increased to 3,437,202. Furhtermore, in 2000 it touched the figure of 8,009,185.

The other two tables show the comparison of increase in population between Manhattan and other four districts. Manhattan solely has the most of the population of New York. In second table, Manhattan in year 1800 has 76% of the total population, while other districts collectively had 24% of total population. In 2000, Manhattan had 19% of the overall population whereas the other four districts had 81% of overall population. It shows that the population of other four districts increased significantly in two centuries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and report the total figures for all three years accurately. You also capture the major shift in population share: Manhattan falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts rise from 24% to 81%. However, the overview is limited to population growth and does not clearly highlight the contrasting pattern that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 before declining by 2000, while the other districts continued to grow. The statement that Manhattan “has the most of the population” is also too broad for the period, since this is not true in 2000. Develop the comparison with the 1900 figures and describe the change in Manhattan’s absolute population as well as its share.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs covering the total population and district comparisons. The sequence from 1800 to 2000 is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “while,” and “whereas” help signal relationships. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some features of more flexible progression. However, the repeated “The first table” and “The other two tables” openings make the report feel mechanical, and “Moreover” and “Furthermore” are used mainly to list figures rather than show meaningful contrasts. The comparison paragraph also jumps from 1800 to 2000 without discussing the important 1900 turning point. Grouping the data around the contrasting trends would improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing tables and population change, including “overall population,” “collectively,” “increased significantly,” and “percentage.” These choices make the main information understandable, and some variation in phrasing is evident. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for a formal data report: “it touched the figure of” is an awkward way to report a value, and “Manhattan solely has the most of the population” is unclear. There are also spelling errors, including “pupulation” and “Furhtermore,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for concise, conventional reporting language and check spelling carefully; precise terms such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “declined” would help express the comparisons more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause with “while” and a comparison using “whereas.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, so errors rarely obstruct understanding. Some grammatical and punctuation problems remain, however. For example, “The first table shows the total population … started with” combines two structures without a suitable link; write “The total population … stood at” instead. In “Manhattan in year 1800 has 76%,” the article and tense are not appropriate for past data; use “In 1800, Manhattan accounted for 76%.” Spacing around punctuation is inconsistent, and the sentence beginning “Manhattan solely…” has an unclear grammatical construction. More accurate past-tense reporting and cleaner sentence patterns would strengthen control.

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