Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-02
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 tables show population of different cities like New York including five districts, Manhattan and their other districts between year 1800 and 2000.
Overall, population are rise in New York city after two years, While Manhattan population percentage are decreased in after some years. Other districts population fall after some years.
In 1800, the population are 79 thousand in New York, which are increased at 3.4 lacs apporximately in 1900.
In 2000, the population reach at 8 lacs in New York city.
In Manhattan, the population are 60,515 in 1800 which are increased and reach at 18 lacs in 1900, while there percentage are 76% overall population, which are fall in 1900, after that people number decrease at only 19% in 2000.
Other districts, population are 18,701, which are increased at 1,587,109 in 1900 and also their percentage are 46%, while population growth very high at 81% in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response attempts to summarise the data but struggles with accuracy and clarity. While it identifies the overall population growth and the shift in percentage distribution for Manhattan, the data reporting is inconsistent and contains significant inaccuracies (e.g., stating the population reached 8 lacs in 2000, whereas the table shows 8 million). The distinction between the total population and the district-specific data is blurred, and the analysis of the 'other districts' is confusing. To improve, ensure that data points are transcribed accurately from the tables and that the distinction between absolute numbers and percentages is clearly maintained throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is limited and often repetitive (e.g., 'In 1800', 'In 2000', 'In Manhattan'). The transition between the general overview and the specific data points is abrupt, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the different districts. Improving the use of linking words such as 'consequently', 'in contrast', or 'meanwhile' would help create a more fluid and logical structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple verbs like 'increased' and 'fall'. There are also issues with terminology, such as using 'lacs' (a regional term) instead of standard international numerical notation (millions), and the misuse of 'cities' when referring to districts. The range is insufficient to convey the data with precision. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more varied vocabulary related to trends, such as 'surged', 'plummeted', 'fluctuated', or 'accounted for', and ensure that numerical data is presented in a standard, professional format.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'population are rise', 'population are 79 thousand') and incorrect use of articles and prepositions. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences are often faulty or awkward. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree in number, and practice using more varied sentence structures, such as relative clauses or participial phrases, to describe the data more effectively.
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