Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-12

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 table depicts the overall population of five districts in New York city from the year 1800 to 2000.

Overall, in the initial year the the total population of these cities except Manhattan are less and in later year these cities had a surge in the number of population. But Manhattan faces a dramatic drop of peple in later year.

According to the table, the whole population of Manhattan in the year 1800 is 76% and it reduced to 54% in 1900 and in 2000 the number of people lessen to 19%. As we can see that over the year the population in Manhattan had decreased.

Moreover, the total population in cities like Bronx,Queens,Staten Island had an enormous growth in throughout the year. In 1800, 24% of people increased in these cities. During 1900s the overall poppulation of people expanded to 1,587,109 which means these cities multiply to 46% of people. In 2000, 81% of dramatical growth had happen in these cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast: Manhattan’s share of the city population fell, while the other districts’ share rose. You also include several relevant figures, including Manhattan’s 76%, 54% and 19%, and the other districts’ 1,587,109 residents in 1900. However, the account is only partly complete: it omits the overall city totals and does not clearly report that Manhattan’s population itself rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000. Some statements confuse population counts with percentages, such as “In 1800, 24% of people increased.” The overview also describes the other districts’ growth broadly without distinguishing their combined population from their share. Select and explain the key figures more precisely to develop the summary fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview and two paragraphs describing the table’s groups. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “According to the table” and “Moreover” help signal the stages of the account. The progression is generally understandable, but some references are unclear: “these cities” could mean the districts or New York City, and “the initial year” is not explicitly identified in the overview. The final paragraph also moves between percentages and population counts without a clear transition, making the comparison harder to follow. Use one paragraph for the city-wide trend and another for Manhattan versus the combined other districts, and keep each figure clearly connected to its year and measure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “overall population,” “dramatic drop” and “growth,” so the reader can follow the general subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes obscures the data. For example, “the whole population of Manhattan … is 76%” confuses a population share with a population count, while “24% of people increased” does not express the intended comparison. “Multiply to 46% of people” and “81% of dramatical growth” are also unnatural and imprecise. Spelling errors such as “peple” and “poppulation” further reduce control. Practise standard reporting phrases such as “accounted for,” “rose to” and “fell to,” and use “population” for counts and “share” for percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including “As we can see that over the year…” and a clause beginning “which means…”. However, control is uneven, and errors in sentence structure, agreement and verb forms are frequent enough to make some statements difficult to interpret. Examples include “the total population … are less,” “Manhattan faces a dramatic drop,” and “81% of dramatical growth had happen.” The opening overview also contains the repeated article in “the the total population.” Tense use shifts between present and past when describing historical data, and some clauses are joined awkwardly. Build accurate past-tense sentences first, then add subordinate clauses; for example, state that Manhattan’s share “fell from 76% in 1800 to 19% in 2000.”

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