Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-01

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)

ked at approximately

tained the dominant position.

lowest

hed its lowest point at

med out at

ded the

ined the

The table illustrate that the changes in

all population of New yorp city in [redacted phone]. The second and third chart illust

describe alter in the number of

people in five districts of the City.

in the same period. The date is

calobrated in percentage.

In the over all, The pouplation of new

york in 2000 is on the highest peak

beside the to citizenation in

1800 is on lowest peak.

On the one hand, In the year 1800

the people in New your is on lowest

value (79,216). It increase sligly

in 1900 to (3,437,202. Addionaly

in 2000 it was on the the

highest point at 8,009,185. @more

over in Manhattan in 1800 the

number of public is on bottomed out

at 60,515 (76%) in 1900 it climbed

ed geoup edged up 1,850,093(54%).

and the time period 2000 it was

1,538,096 (19%).

On the other hand, The distristicts

Brooklyn, Bronx, queens, Staten Island

In g. period 1800 the number of

public is 18701 on the lowest

lowest

reached its lowest point at

bottomed out at

recorded the lowest figure

remained the least common category

peak 18,701 (24%). It showed

a modest growth in 1900 the year

of 1900 to 1582,109 (46%). In the

period 2000 it peak at approximately

6,471,089 (81%).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response attempts to address the task by summarizing population data, but it fails to provide a clear overview of the main trends. While it mentions the total population and some district figures, the information is fragmented and lacks a coherent comparison between the districts. The inclusion of extraneous text (the list of phrases at the beginning and end) suggests a lack of focus. The data is presented, but the analysis is superficial and does not effectively highlight the most significant changes or differences between the five districts over the two-century period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay lacks a logical flow. The inclusion of random phrases at the beginning and end of the text disrupts the structure. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the progression of ideas is disjointed. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often misused or placed awkwardly, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand,' which do not logically connect the data provided. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the districts.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and often inaccurate. There are frequent errors in word choice, such as 'citizenation' instead of 'population' and 'public' used to refer to population numbers. The student attempts to use some academic vocabulary like 'calibrated' and 'modest growth,' but these are often used incorrectly or in inappropriate contexts. Spelling errors are frequent (e.g., 'yorp,' 'sligly,' 'distristicts'), which occasionally makes the meaning difficult to discern.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response relies on a mix of simple and attempted complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is very low. There are persistent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The table illustrate'), article usage, and tense consistency. Punctuation is also problematic, with random capitalization and incorrect placement of parentheses. These frequent errors often impede communication, as the reader must struggle to interpret the intended meaning of the sentences.

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