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 first Table illustrates the changes in the total population of the New York city in between 1800 to 2000.Whereas , second and third tables illustrates changes in the population of the five disserent districts of the New york city ( Manhattan, Brooklyn< Queens,Staten Island from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, All the districts of New York had increase in population over time. Also Other districts shoed same pattern of increase in proportion of population. Whereas Manhattan showed a decrease in percentage of total population.
Newyork accounted 79216 number of population in the year 1800. after a decade, it had increased its number of people rising the city by [redacted phone] in 1900. Moreover, in 2000 it had 3x increase in the population.
Manhattan accounted 76% of population residing in the city in the year 1800 while after a decade it had decrease number of population living their counted 54% and 19% in 1900 and 2000 respectively. whereas other cities showed increase in the population overtime which accounted for 24% to 81 % from 1800 to 2000. it sh
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 attempts to cover the main features but fails to accurately interpret the data. For instance, the claim that the population increased by '3x' in 2000 compared to 1900 is mathematically incorrect based on the provided table. Furthermore, the description of the district population percentages is confusing and contains significant inaccuracies regarding the data trends. The response is also incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision and the failure to complete the task prevent a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by poor sentence structure and mechanical errors. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover' and 'Whereas', but they are often applied incorrectly or in a way that creates confusion. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the districts. The abrupt ending of the text significantly impacts the overall coherence, as the final thought is left unfinished.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are frequent errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'disserent' for 'different', 'shoed' for 'showed', and 'Newyork' as one word. The use of '3x increase' is informal and inappropriate for an academic report. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the data with the necessary precision required for an IELTS Academic Task 1 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('tables illustrates'), incorrect preposition usage ('in between 1800 to 2000'), and awkward phrasing ('had decrease number of population'). Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas and inconsistent capitalisation. The range of sentence structures is limited, and the errors are persistent throughout the text.
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