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 illustrate the changes in the whole population of the New York city,and thier five districts of the city from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, it is clear that new york city reported the highest popultion in 2000 and a lowest in 1800.manhattan accounted for a larger number of people in 2000 and small percentage and a lower people in 1800 while reported a larger percentage.

moreover, in other district more number of people showed in the 2000 and higher percentage incontrast, percentage followed a opposit pattern from manhattan.

regarding new york city, a smallest population reported in 1800 at 79,216 and the highest in 2000 at [redacted phone]. Manhattan had lower number of people in 1800 at 60515 while showed a highest percentage 76%. In contrast, population increased in 2000 at [redacted phone] and the smallest percentage 19%.

Turning to the other districts, in 1800 they followed a similar pattern like Manhattan, in 1800 lower population 18,701 with a lower percentage of total population 24%.and a higher in 2000 at [redacted phone] with a higher percentage 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad trends: the city’s population was greatest in 2000, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share rose. Several figures are also reported accurately, including the 1800 total and the 2000 population of the other districts. However, the account is only partial because it omits the 1900 figures, which show important changes: the city reached 3,437,202, Manhattan peaked at 1,850,093, and the other districts made up 46% of the total. There is also a factual misstatement in the overview: Manhattan did not have a larger population in 2000 than in 1800; its population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. Include the middle year and distinguish population totals from percentages more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview, and separate paragraphs about the city and the districts. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is grouped. However, progression is limited because the account moves mainly from 1800 to 2000 and leaves out the intervening year, rather than comparing all three points in a consistent order. Linking phrases such as “moreover,” “in contrast,” and “turning to” are attempted, but some connections are unclear or repetitive; for example, “in other district more number of people showed in the 2000” does not clearly connect the population figure to the percentage. Use a consistent year-by-year comparison and make each paragraph’s focus explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “accounted for,” and “in contrast,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. Phrases such as “a larger number of people in 2000 and small percentage,” “more number of people,” and “followed a similar pattern” are not precise descriptions of the data. Spelling errors, including “thier,” “popultion,” and “opposit,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for standard comparison language and use “population” for totals and “share/proportion” for percentages; check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer comparisons, for example, “Manhattan had lower number of people in 1800 … while showed a highest percentage.” However, the longer constructions are often faulty, and frequent errors in articles, sentence boundaries, and clause structure make some sentences hard to interpret. Examples include “a smallest population reported,” “while showed a highest percentage,” and the run-on “24%.and a higher in 2000.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “new york city” and the missing space after commas. Build clearer sentences with a subject and verb in each clause, such as “Manhattan’s population was 60,515 in 1800, representing 76% of the city total.” Then check articles, punctuation, and sentence boundaries.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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