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 tables illustrate the changes of the population of New York and also the changes of five districts including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, NewYork city's population experienced a sharp increase over the two centuries. On the other hand, Manhattan City faced a major decline in the proportion of the total population of New York, with other four districts experiencing a substantial growth in population over the period.

In 1800, New York City had nearly eighty thousand people whereas Manhattan contained sixty thousand of them which is 76% of New York's population. Scenario has changed in 1900, that time New York had 3.43 Million people over the city and Manhattan contained only 54% of them. Day by day the population of the Manhattan district was continuously dropping and near the 2000s, it fell to 1.53 million which is 19% of New York's population.

Other four districts maintained a growthful population. In 1900, only 18701 people lived in those districts but after a century, almost 1.6 million people started living there. In 2000, those districts had 6.47 million population which is massive. From 1800 to 2000, those cities jumped from 24% of the total population and reached 81% of it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall patterns: New York City’s population rose sharply, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share increased. Several key figures are reported accurately, including Manhattan’s 76%, 54% and 19% shares and the other districts’ rise to 81%. However, the description of the other districts misreads the timeline: 18,701 people is their figure for 1800, not 1900; in 1900 they had 1,587,109. Also, Manhattan’s population did not continuously drop: it rose substantially between 1800 and 1900 before declining by 2000. The response covers the tables, but these inaccuracies and the limited comparison of absolute population changes leave some features less fully explained. Make the sequence and distinction between population and percentage explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for Manhattan and the other districts. This helps the reader follow the main comparisons, and transitions such as “Overall,” “On the other hand” and “In 2000” provide some signposting. However, progression is weakened by the mistaken sequence in the paragraph about the other districts, where the 1800 figure is presented as belonging to 1900. Some linking is also mechanical, and references such as “those cities” are not fully clear because the figures describe districts. Organise each detail chronologically and use precise references such as “the four other districts”; this would make the relationships between years and groups easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing change, including “sharp increase,” “major decline,” “substantial growth” and “proportion.” These choices communicate the broad trends, though some wording is inaccurate or unnatural for a formal data summary. “Growthful population” is not a natural collocation, “Scenario has changed” is vague, and “Day by day” suggests continuous daily data that the tables do not provide. “Manhattan City” also mislabels the district, while “those cities” is imprecise. Aim for standard reporting language and distinguish population totals from shares. More precise choices such as “the population increased,” “by 1900” and “the remaining four districts” would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “Overall” and the clause beginning “whereas.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward sentence patterns reduce accuracy. For example, “the changes of the population” uses an unsuitable preposition, and “Scenario has changed in 1900, that time…” joins clauses incorrectly. “Manhattan contained only 54% of them” also has an unclear grammatical reference, while “had 6.47 million population” lacks a natural article or possessive construction. Check sentence boundaries, articles and noun phrases, and use consistent past-tense reporting. These revisions would make the range of structures more controlled without sacrificing the comparisons.

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