Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-24
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 illustrate changes in the population of new your city between 1800 and 2000. They also compare the population of manhattan Brooklyn, bronx, queens, Staten island.
Overall the population of new york city increased significantly over the period. While manhattan had a largest population in 1800 to 1900, in other cities compare to manhattan significantly increased in 2000.
In 1800, the new york city population was 79,216 , In there 60,515 population in Percentage 76% of the total whereas the other districts had only 18701 residents representing 24%. By 1900 the city's population had risen dramatically 3,437,202 , in Manhattan [redacted phone] presented 54% and also other city's population had [redacted phone] reprentaed 46%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have attempted to identify some main features, the analysis is incomplete. You have only covered the data for 1800 and 1900, completely omitting the data for 2000. Furthermore, the comparison between the districts is underdeveloped and lacks clarity. To improve, ensure you provide a comprehensive overview of all time periods and categories provided in the tables, and ensure your response meets the length requirement to allow for sufficient development of your ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by the lack of sufficient content. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'in' and 'the'. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus that contributes to the overall summary of the data.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. There are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'new your city' instead of 'New York City' and 'reprentaed' instead of 'represented'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the trends in the data effectively. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary for describing data, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', 'remained stable', or 'proportion', and ensure you proofread your work to correct spelling errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('The table illustrate'), article usage ('the largest population'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper punctuation, which makes the text difficult to follow. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures, including correct verb tenses and the appropriate use of articles. Practice writing complete, error-free sentences before attempting more complex grammatical structures.
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