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)

So three tables are given in which first one contain the population of all the five districts of New York City from year 1800 to 2000. The population grew from 79216 to [redacted phone] over the course of 2 centuries. The 2nd table summarizes the population of Manhattan for the same years as first table and 3rd table contains the population of remaining 4 districts over the same duration. In 1800s when totsl population was less than 100,000, most of this population came from the Manhattan like 3/4th part of whole population and 1/4th part from other 4 districts combined. But over the passage of time, as the population grew, the population of Manhattan in comparsion to other disrtricts population gradually decreased from 76 percent to 19 percent in 2000s. While on the other hand the the other districts population grew from 24 percent in 1800s to 81% in 2000s. Finally, the numbers show that the population increased exponentially during years 1800 to 2000s

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the central trends accurately: New York’s total population rose from 79,216 to about 8 million, while Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19% and the other districts’ share increased. The comparison between Manhattan and the combined remaining districts is relevant and supported by the figures. However, the response does not clearly report the important middle-year pattern: Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before declining by 2000, while the other districts continued to grow. The phrase “increased exponentially” is also too strong and imprecise for the data. A clearer overview and a few exact comparisons across all three years would make the main features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable order, moving from the total population to the district tables and then comparing their shares. Linking phrases such as “But over the passage of time” and “While on the other hand” help signal contrast. However, the whole response is presented as one paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Some connections are repetitive or awkward, particularly the repeated “population” and the doubled “the the.” The sequence also moves from the 1800 comparison to the 2000 percentages without explaining the 1900 figures. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and key details, and organise the comparisons consistently by year.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of basic trend and comparison vocabulary, including “grew,” “decreased,” “combined,” and “in comparison,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “over the course of 2 centuries.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for an academic report: “exponentially” overstates the trend, “3/4th part” is awkward, and “in 1800s” does not clearly refer to the year 1800. Spelling errors such as “totsl,” “comparsion,” and “disrtricts” also reduce precision. Aim for standard data-reporting expressions and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “While on the other hand,” and most of the intended meaning can be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “first one contain” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the population of the Manhattan” uses an unnecessary article. The sentence beginning “In 1800s when totsl population was less than 100,000” lacks a clear main-clause structure, and “the the other districts population” has faulty construction. Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles, agreement, and possessives when editing.

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