Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-28

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 given table illustrates the number of population was changed over the decades 1800 to 2000 in New York and other five districts of the city

Education: I

Where are you from: I'm from

work exp: I had 4 years of my work experience

Hobbies & interest: I love watching movies, and dreaming

[especially anime and sketch]

The given table illustrates the numbers of population

was changed over the decades between 1800 to 2000 in

the New York and also in other five districts of the

city, which was Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and

Staten Island over the same period.

In the year 1800, the population of New York city was

very low about 79,216 people in all five districts.

In addition, in the year 1900 the population grew

twice of the year 1800, which was at 3,437,202, and

it also doubled in the year 2000 as compared

to the year 1900, which was at 8,009,185

people lived in the New York city.

In continuation, Manhattan had most population in

the year 1800 as compared to other two decades,

which was 76% and 54% and 19% respectively.

moreover, the other four districts had highest

population in the year 2000, which was 6,471,089.

In the year 1800 and 1900 the population were

Slightly increased over the period in the Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, which was 24% and 46% respectively.

All in all, it is clearly apearent that in New York city and Brookly, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island had highest population in the year 2000 as compared to the manhattan where population was highest in the year 1800 rather than in the year 1900 and 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response includes irrelevant personal information at the beginning, which is not part of the task. While you have identified some key data points, the analysis is inconsistent. You correctly identify the overall population growth, but the comparison of the districts is confusing and mathematically inaccurate. For example, stating Manhattan had 76%, 54%, and 19% in the three decades is not clearly linked to the data provided. You need to focus on selecting the most significant trends, such as the shift in population density from Manhattan to the other boroughs, rather than listing isolated figures. The summary lacks a clear overview of the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical flow is disrupted by the inclusion of personal details. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as 'In continuation' or 'In addition', which do not always logically connect the sentences. Referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow which data points correspond to which districts. The final summary paragraph is somewhat repetitive and does not effectively synthesize the information presented in the body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'number', 'population', and 'year'. There are errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'apearent' (apparent) and 'Brookly' (Brooklyn). You attempt to use percentages, but the lack of precision in how these are described limits your ability to convey the information accurately. To improve, you should focus on using a wider range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'growth' and ensure that you use terminology related to data reporting, such as 'proportion', 'accounted for', or 'experienced a surge'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('the number of population was changed', 'the population were') and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or run-on, which impacts readability. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, they are often faulty, leading to a lack of clarity. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on basic sentence construction and ensure that your verb tenses are used consistently when describing historical data.

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