Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-06
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 5.5)
There are three tables given in which population for various city are been marke in term of numbers as well as in percentage.
Firstly New york city this table include all five districts in which we can determine that population over the period has been increased from 1800 to 2000 from 79,216 to 8,[redacted phone] and shown the population from 1800 to 1900 popluation increased from more than 3 lakh and after which after 10 decades its has been almost tripled.
In second table we can identify that the percentage of the population from 1800 to 2000 is uneven as in 1800 the population is 60,515 which is 76% and which in 1900 the population increased to 1,850,093 which is 54% of total percentage Although the number of population has decreased to 1,538,096 as 19% of total percentage of population.
In other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island the population has been grown from 18,701 to 6,471,089 so in 1800 and 1900 and 2000 the population grown from 18,701 to 1,587,109 to 6,471,089 in total percentage which is 24% and it hike to 46% lastly in 2000 is got 81%
Concluding after looking all three table i found that most populated city was new york in 2000 which is 8,009,185 and in all three table population was growing, However in term of Manhattan we saw a disrupt changes as per decades.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and report relevant figures for Manhattan and the other districts. The comparison between Manhattan’s population and its share of the total is also useful: its count rose by 1900, then fell by 2000, while its percentage declined throughout. However, the overview is not fully accurate: “in all three table population was growing” overlooks Manhattan’s fall from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096. The claim that the city’s population “almost tripled” after 1900 is also incorrect; it rose to more than twice its 1900 level. Make the main trends clearer and distinguish counts from percentages, especially for the other districts, whose share rose from 24% to 81%.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the tables, discusses the city total, then Manhattan and the other districts, and ends with a conclusion. This gives the reader some overall organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is often difficult to follow because several comparisons and figures are packed into long sentences. For example, the sentence beginning “In second table” moves from the 1800 figure to 1900 and then 2000 without clearly separating the changing population count from its percentage share. Linking words such as “Firstly,” “Although,” and “Concluding” are used, but some connections are awkward or do not clarify the relationship between ideas. Use one paragraph per main comparison and organise each chronologically.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “percentage,” “increased,” and “decreased,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning unclear. For instance, “population … are been marke” and “the population has been grown” do not express the intended ideas naturally; “it hike to 46%” is also unsuitable for a formal report. Spelling errors such as “popluation” and “disrupt” further reduce precision. Build a small set of accurate reporting phrases—such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “declined to”—and check spelling and word forms before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt to combine ideas using clauses and contrast, as in “Although the number of population has decreased…,” but complex sentences are often faulty and the range of reliably controlled structures is limited. Errors include subject–verb agreement and verb forms in “population … are been marke” and “the population has been grown,” as well as unclear sentence construction in “which in 1900 the population increased.” Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, making some comparisons hard to interpret. Aim first for accurate simple sentences with a clear subject and verb, then add subordinate clauses. For example, separate the count and share: “Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900, although its share of the city total fell to 54%.”
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