Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03
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 compares the changes in the total population of New York city and the population of Manhattan and other four districts between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, the population of New York city increased greatly during 200-year period. While Manhattan had the largest share of the population at the beginning, other four district became much more populated by 2000.
In 1800, New York city had a population of 79,216 people. Around 60,515 people lived in Manhattan, which made up 76% of the total population, While only 18,701 people lived in the other four district. By 1900, the city's population growth significantly to 3,437,202. Manhattan's population also increased to 1,850,093 although its share fell to 54%.
By 2000, the total population reached 8,009,202. however, Manhattan's population decreased slightly to 1,538,096, representing only 19% of the total. In contrast, the population of the other four districts rose sharply to 6,471,089, accounting for 81% of New York city's population.
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
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the population shifts in New York City. You selected relevant data points to support your comparisons between Manhattan and the other four districts. However, the task requires you to report on the five districts mentioned in the prompt. While you grouped them as 'other four districts', you did not provide any specific data for the individual districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island), which limits the depth of your analysis. To achieve a higher band, ensure you highlight key differences or similarities between these specific districts rather than treating them as a single block.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving chronologically from 1800 to 2000. You use cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'By 1900', and 'In contrast' to link your points effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. To improve, ensure that your referencing is precise; for example, 'other four district' should be pluralized to 'other four districts' to maintain grammatical cohesion throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'share', 'significantly', and 'representing' correctly. There are some minor errors, such as 'during 200-year period' (missing an article) and 'other four district' (missing pluralization). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the variety and precision required for higher bands. Try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased' and ensure consistent accuracy in word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the 'While...' clause in your introduction. However, there are several grammatical slips, including 'city's population growth significantly to' (missing a verb like 'grew'), 'however' (should be capitalized at the start of a sentence), and 'other four district' (pluralization error). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and basic punctuation to improve your accuracy.
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