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 table illustrates the population of new York city changes from 1800 to 2000 and describes the population differs from district wisely.

Overall, population changes in the new York city at the year of 1800 with the people of 79,216, following the year 1900 it grown to 3,[redacted phone] and finally it ended with year of 2000 a sharp rise to 8,00,09,185 invidious.

In firsthand, New York city having the five districts, In1800 first one Manhattan were nearly 76% of population compared to other districts high in position, respectively Brooklyn, Bronx, queen's, Staten Island is notice of 24% only in the same year. In the meantime, Manhattan grow at 54% and followed by other districts at closest population covering to 46%.

In finally year of 2000 population, the first city dipped to 19% and other city's noticed a peak performance in the final year with the 81 percentage.

this shown a greater rise in population as compared to 1800.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response attempts to address the task by summarizing population changes, but it fails to accurately report the data. The figures provided, such as '8,00,09,185', are incorrect and do not reflect the source material. Furthermore, the analysis of the districts is confusing and lacks clarity, particularly in the comparison of percentages between 1800 and 2000. While the main features are identified, the lack of accuracy in reporting the data and the failure to clearly distinguish between the total population and the district-specific data significantly hinder the response. The overview is present but lacks the necessary precision required for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often illogical and difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In firsthand' and 'In finally year', but these are often misused or unnatural, which disrupts the flow of the text. The referencing is also unclear; for example, the term 'first city' is used to refer to Manhattan, which is confusing for the reader. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks the logical sequencing needed to guide the reader through the data effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and often inappropriate for an academic report. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'district wisely', 'invidious' (likely a misuse of 'individuals'), and 'peak performance'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the data with precision. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of control over academic register and the persistent errors in word choice prevent the response from reaching a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('Manhattan grow', 'this shown'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence structures. The attempt at complex sentences is limited and often results in errors, such as 'following the year 1900 it grown to...'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the formatting of numbers. The range of structures is narrow, and the high frequency of errors indicates a lack of control over basic grammatical rules.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.