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 diagrams changes in the population of new York and Manhattan Brooklyn Bronx queens Staten island
Overall New York more than large population on 2000 in others due to the most city in world ,in contrast , Manhattan than less population in others city reason why the Manhattan is the dangerest city in world
in 1800. Brooklyn ,Bronx ,Queens ,Staten island are small city
in 1900.in New York city lived 3,437,202 ,whereas, in Manhattan lived 1,850,093 and in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island lived 1,581,109
There are same almost in 1900. but overall New York living 81% of total population in American
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 score. While the student attempts to identify some data points, the summary is incomplete and lacks a clear overview of the trends. The analysis of the data is fragmented, and the student includes irrelevant information (e.g., mentioning the 'dangerest city' or '81% of total population in American') which is not supported by the provided tables. Key features, such as the overall growth trend from 1800 to 2000, are not adequately described or compared.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response lacks a logical structure. Paragraphing is inconsistent and does not facilitate a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, such as the misuse of 'in contrast' and 'whereas'. The connection between sentences is weak, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison of the data. The lack of a clear introduction and a cohesive summary further hinders the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is very limited and often inaccurate. There are frequent errors in word choice, such as 'diagrams changes' instead of 'the tables show changes' and 'dangerest' instead of 'most dangerous'. The student relies on basic, repetitive language that does not allow for a precise description of the data. The lack of appropriate terminology for describing trends (e.g., 'increased', 'fluctuated', 'peaked') makes it difficult to convey the information effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and incorrect sentence structures. For example, 'New York more than large population' is grammatically incorrect and unclear. The student uses almost exclusively simple sentences, and even these are often poorly constructed. Punctuation is also problematic, with inconsistent use of commas and periods throughout the text. The lack of complex structures limits the range of the response.
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