Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-04

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)

These tables illustrate the changes in overall population of New York City and five districts of it that are: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island from years 1800 to 2000.

First of all I talk about the total population of all five districts which was 79,216, 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 in years 1800, 1900 and 2000 respectively. There was about double growth of people in 2000 than 1900. Meanwhile, in 1800 the population was less than a lac and as the century changed the citizens increases from 79,216 to 3,437,202. It was such a drastic change.

Turning to the second table, the number of residence in Manhattan was 60,515, 1,850,093 and 1,538,096 and percentage of total population was 76%, 54% and 19% in year 1800, 1900 and 2000 respectively. While in the third paragraph, the total people living in other four districts was less than Manhattan. It was 18,701 (24%) in 1800, 1,587,109 (46%) in 1900 and 6,471,089 (81%) in year 2000

In conclusion, the overall population rise from century to century and in Manhattan there was always a greater number of people living there than other districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report the main population figures for all three years and include Manhattan’s and the other districts’ shares, so the response is relevant and covers the tables. However, the overview is not fully accurate: the conclusion says Manhattan “always had a greater number” than the other districts, but by 2000 the other four districts together had 6,471,089 residents compared with Manhattan’s 1,538,096. The claim that the total population “about double[d]” from 1900 to 2000 is also imprecise; it rose to more than twice its earlier level. The response would be stronger with a clear overview of the key shift in population share and a direct comparison of the contrasting trends, rather than relying mainly on a list of figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate discussion of the total and district figures, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all” and “Turning to” help the reader follow the movement between tables, and the figures are generally grouped by topic. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall arrangement and shows some control beyond it. However, transitions are occasionally mechanical or unclear: “While in the third paragraph” does not accurately describe the organisation, and the final conclusion repeats a claim that conflicts with the data. Improve progression by giving a concise overview before the details, then comparing Manhattan with the combined other districts consistently.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for describing change, including “overall population,” “percentage of total population,” “drastic change,” and “rise.” These choices make the topic clear, and the reader can understand most of the information. However, several noticeable word-choice and collocation problems limit precision: “number of residence” is not the right expression for people, “double growth of people” is awkward, and “citizens increases” is an unsuitable and incorrectly formed phrase in this context. “Less than a lac” is also not an appropriate formal expression for an IELTS report. Aim for standard data-reporting language and use terms such as “population,” “residents,” “accounted for,” and “increased.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in the opening and a comparison introduced by “Meanwhile.” The sequence of years and figures is usually understandable. However, errors recur in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “the citizens increases” should use a past-tense verb agreeing with the plural subject, while “the overall population rise” needs a past-tense form and singular agreement. The opening phrase “districts of it that are” is also awkwardly constructed, and the sentence beginning “While in the third paragraph” is incomplete in its structure. Greater control of past-tense reporting and complete, clearly formed sentences would improve accuracy.

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