Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-05

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 shows the changes in total population of all five districts - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island in New York City from the year 1800 to 2000. The total population of New York City went from 79,216 to an staggering number of 8,009,185 in just two centuries.

Now, if we are comparing the population in the districts, the Manhattan cleary wins in 1800s as 76% of the population was in Manhattan while the other 24% was scattered in other four states of New York City. But, after just one century, in 1900s, the total percentage of population in Manhattan decreased by 22%, while the other districts observed increased the population by combined percentage of 24%. After one more century, in 2000s, the Manhattan observed the lowest recorded total population of just 19% meanwhile the other four districts had occumulated more population and their net percentage was 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and the major shift in its distribution: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share grows to 81%. These are relevant central features, and the figures you give match the tables. However, the account is not fully developed: it omits the 1900 and 2000 total population figures and does not report the districts’ actual population counts. The phrase “Manhattan clearly wins” also makes the comparison less precise, and “lowest recorded total population” confuses its share of the city population with its population count, which was lower in 2000 than in 1900 but higher than in 1800. Include a concise overview and support it with key counts as well as percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear broad sequence: it introduces the total population, then compares Manhattan with the other districts across the three dates. Time markers such as “in 1800s,” “in 1900s” and “after one more century” help readers follow the chronology. However, the organisation is limited to two paragraphs, with no distinct overview that summarises the main trends before the details. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated “Now” and “But,” and the long second paragraph combines several comparisons without clear sentence boundaries between the stages. Use a separate overview and organise the body around the changes from 1800 to 1900 and from 1900 to 2000. This would make the progression clearer and reduce reliance on basic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing change, including “decreased,” “increased” and “combined percentage,” and the main meaning remains understandable. There are, however, several inaccurate or informal choices that reduce precision. “Manhattan clearly wins” is conversational and does not describe a population comparison objectively; “scattered” is also unsuitable for the other districts’ population. “Observed the lowest recorded total population” is an imprecise way to describe a percentage share, while “accumulated more population” is not a natural collocation here. Spelling errors such as “cleary” and “occumulated” also affect accuracy. Aim for neutral reporting language and use terms such as “accounted for,” “share” and “population increased” consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “while” and a time clause beginning “after just one century.” Most of the message is understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “a staggering number” needs the article “a” before the adjective, and “the Manhattan” uses an unnecessary article. In “the other districts observed increased the population,” the verb pattern is faulty; a clearer form is “the population of the other districts increased.” The sentence beginning “But, after just one century” also has awkward punctuation and an unclear comparison of percentage changes. Practise accurate article use, subject–verb patterns and punctuation in longer sentences, while keeping the useful variety of structures you already attempt.

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