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 tables shows the total population in New York City and also the spreading of population across different districts.

Overall, total population of New YorK City has significantly increased from 1800 to 2000. District Manhattan has highest percentage of total population in 1800 but this percentage gradually droped over the three centuries.

Total population in New York City in 1800 was 79,216 and at that time major population lived in District Manhattan which was 76%. The remainig 24 % shared in other 4 districts. In 20th century in 1900 the total population of city rose to 3,437,202. The divsion of pupulation has changed this time 54% in Manhattan while 46% spread across 4 destricts includes Brooklyn, bronnx, Queens and Stalen Island.

In 21 century in 2000 population of New York City rose again to total 8,009,185. In Destrict Manhattan population percantage declined again and it shared only 19% of total population this century whereas, other 4 destricts total population shared climbed to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main trends accurately: the city’s population rose from 79,216 to 8,009,185, while Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19% and the other districts’ share increased. The overview makes these contrasts clear, and the response covers all three years. This is a solid summary, though some comparisons are less fully developed: for example, Manhattan’s population itself rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000, a notable change that is not reported. You also give percentages for the districts but not their population figures, despite these being shown in the table. Including one or two such figures would make the account more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and chronological paragraphs covering 1800, 1900 and 2000. This makes the information easy to follow, and phrases such as “In 21 century in 2000” signal the movement between periods. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical because each paragraph largely repeats the same year-by-year pattern. Some linking and reference choices are also awkward, such as “this time” and “this century,” which do not always connect the comparison smoothly. The final paragraph could more explicitly contrast Manhattan’s decline with the growth of the other districts. More varied comparisons and clearer links between the figures would make cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “declined” and “rose,” so the main trends are understandable. However, the range and control are limited by repeated general terms such as “population” and “shared,” and several word-choice or spelling errors are noticeable: “spreading of population,” “divsion,” “destricts,” and “percantage.” Some collocations are unnatural, including “population … shared in other 4 districts” and “population … shared climbed.” Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard phrases such as “accounted for,” “was distributed across,” and “the proportion fell.” These improvements would make the description more natural and reduce the effort required to interpret some sentences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the overall meaning is generally clear. However, some grammatical errors remain in basic structures. For example, “The tables shows” has subject–verb disagreement, while “District Manhattan has highest percentage” needs an article and a more appropriate tense for describing historical data. In “The remainig 24 % shared in other 4 districts,” the sentence lacks a clear grammatical subject and uses an incomplete construction. There are also awkward tense and clause patterns in “the total population … rose again to total 8,009,185.” Use past tense consistently for the historical figures, check articles and agreement, and build comparisons with complete clauses. Greater accuracy in these patterns would strengthen the response.

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