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)

the following table charts illustrates the total population of New York city from 1800 to 2000. the second and third table illustrates the changes in the population of the five areas of the city over the same period.

overall, population of the New York city all districts at the 1800 year population is the 79,216, at the 1900 population has increase in 3,437,202 and the last at the year of 2000 population increase in the 8,009,185.

Manhattan in the year of 1800 population has 76% percentage then it has been increase in 19th century 1,850,093 and in the year of 2000 it population has 19%.

there are other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island is in the year of 1800 population percentage are very low 24%, in the 1900 it has been increase into the population is 1,587,109 and 48% percentage, in the year 2000 the population is more increased into the 6,471,089 and the percentage is 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by identifying the total population and the trends in the districts. However, the analysis is superficial. You have listed some figures but failed to effectively compare the data across the five districts or highlight the most significant trends, such as the dramatic shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other boroughs. The overview is weak and lacks a clear summary of the main features. To improve, focus on grouping the data logically and identifying the most striking changes rather than simply transcribing numbers from the tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and often repetitive (e.g., 'in the year of', 'it has been increase'). There is a lack of logical progression between sentences, making the text feel like a list of observations rather than a cohesive report. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas, such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', or 'subsequently', and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'increase' and 'population'. There are also errors in word choice and form, such as 'charts illustrates' (should be 'chart illustrates') and 'percentage are' (should be 'percentage is'). The phrasing is often unnatural, which hinders the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, try to use a broader range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'declined', 'accounted for', or 'proportion', and pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, particularly regarding verb tenses and sentence structure. For example, 'population has increase' should be 'population has increased', and 'it population has 19%' is grammatically incorrect. The sentence structures are mostly simple and repetitive, with little evidence of complex sentence forms. The frequent errors in basic grammar and punctuation occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that you use the correct tense for historical data.

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