Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-03

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 shows the total population lived in New york city in same period and comparing the population of five districts from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, there is significant rise in the population for the period of three centuries and in the past Manhattan was the most populated district compared to all the other districts.But later in 20th century the scene reversed with making the other four districts more populated than the Manhattan.

In 18th century the total population was 79,216 and seventy six percent of the total resides in Manhattan making it most populated district among the all the other districts.Later in 19th century the population is significantly increased to 3,437,202 and total of 54 percent people lived in Manhattan and the remaning 46 percent people were lived in other districts.

By 20th century the total population of New york cities population rises to 8,009,185 and the total of 19 percent of people were left living in Manhattan and the other 81 percent of people started living in the other four districts,completely over shadowing the Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main trends accurately: New York City’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19% and the other districts’ share increased. The overview also highlights the shift in which group had the larger population, and the figures you include match the tables. However, the account is not fully developed: it gives percentages for the districts but omits their actual population figures, including Manhattan’s decline from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. The phrase “the other four districts” is understandable, but the table groups them together rather than providing separate district data. Include a few key population totals and make the change in Manhattan’s absolute population explicit to give a fuller comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs moving through the periods chronologically. This makes the main comparison easy to follow, and transitions such as “Later” and “By 20th century” help signal time changes. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, because the same chronological pattern and repeated references to “the total population” carry much of the progression. Some links between ideas are also awkward: “Later in 19th century” does not clearly distinguish the year 1900 from the whole century, and the final sentence joins several points with commas. Use more precise time references and vary how you connect the figures, while keeping each paragraph focused on a clear comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing change and comparison, including “significant rise,” “most populated,” “reversed,” and “over shadowing.” These choices communicate the broad trends, but the range and control are uneven. Some phrases are unnatural or imprecise for a data report, such as “the scene reversed,” “people were left living,” and “completely over shadowing the Manhattan.” There are also spelling and form issues, including “remaning,” “New york,” and “cities population.” Aim for concise, neutral reporting language and accurate collocations; for example, describe a population share as falling or rising rather than saying people were “left” in a district. This would make the comparisons more precise and appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the overall meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors recur, particularly with articles, agreement, and verb forms. For example, “there is significant rise” needs an article, while “the total population lived” uses an unsuitable verb construction. In “seventy six percent of the total resides,” the tense does not fit the historical data, and “the remaining 46 percent people were lived” has an incorrect verb form. Punctuation also needs attention: several sentences run together after full stops or commas, and spacing is inconsistent. Practise forming accurate past-tense comparisons and checking each sentence for a complete, correctly punctuated structure; this will improve control without sacrificing your attempts at complex sentences.

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