Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-11

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)

The tables displays the amount of total populations of New York City and 5 other districts in between the year 1800 to 2000.

Overall, population in New York City increased exponentially throughout the period , while the population of other districts faced both increased and decreased. Despite this in the year 2000 New York holds more population then Manhattan or other 4 districts combined which are Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island.

The first table shows in 1900 the population increased to 3,437,202 from 79,216

from last century and then the number increased to 8,009,185 in the year 2000.

As for the second table it displays that, Manhattan holds the most population then the other combined districts. But as century passes, it declined steadily. It had 76 percent of total population of all 5 districts which declined to 54 percent in the 1900 and in 2000 it declined further more to 19 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main rise in New York City’s total population and the sharp fall in Manhattan’s share, and the figures you give for these trends are accurate. However, the response only partly covers the tables: it does not report the population figures for the other districts, despite their growth being a major feature, and the overview says the city had more people than Manhattan or the other four districts combined in 2000. That comparison is incorrect: the other districts together had 6,471,089 people, compared with Manhattan’s 1,538,096. Also, “increased exponentially” overstates what the data establish. To strengthen the report, give a balanced overview and compare the main population totals and shares across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs referring to the first and second tables. This helps the reader follow the broad topic, and phrases such as “As for the second table” signal a shift. However, the progression is incomplete because the other-district data are not discussed, and the final paragraph ends without a concluding comparison. Some linking is also awkward or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “declined” in the Manhattan section. Organise the details by the main contrast—Manhattan versus the other districts—and connect each change clearly to its year. This would make the report more complete and improve the flow between its points.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “increased,” “declined,” and “percentage,” so the main trends are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “exponentially” and “steadily.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “amount of total populations” is not an appropriate description, and “holds the most population” is an awkward collocation. “Faced both increased and decreased” is also unclear. Choose precise terms such as “population,” “accounted for,” and “rose/fell,” and avoid “exponentially” unless the data support that specific pattern. More accurate phrasing would make the comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes simple sentences and some attempts at longer structures, for example, “Despite this in the year 2000…” and the sentence describing Manhattan’s changing share. However, errors in agreement, articles, tense, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make parts of the report awkward. Examples include “The tables displays,” “in between the year 1800 to 2000,” and “as century passes.” The sentence beginning “Despite this” also lacks clear grammatical connection to the preceding idea. Use plural agreement (“tables display”), a consistent time expression (“between 1800 and 2000”), and past-tense forms for the historical data. Shorter, carefully controlled comparisons would help improve accuracy while retaining some complex structures.

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