Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-04
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 first table illustrate information about the total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000, whereas second and third table provides information about the population of five district of the city.
Overall, the population increased continuously over the period. Manhattan had the largest population in the beginning of the period, while other districts had the largest population at the end.
To begin with, New York had 79,216 population in 1800 which increased to 3,347,202 in 1900. In 2000, New York had 8,009,185 population at the end of period. Furthermore, Manhattan had 60,515 population in 1800, which was 76% of the total population. In 1900, It had 54% proportion of total population with 1, 850,093 residents. In 2000, it had 1,538,096 population with only 19% of total population.
For other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island had 18,071 population with only 24% of total. It increased to 1,587,109 in 1900, which had 46% of total population. In 2000, population steadily rose to 6,471,089 with 81%of total 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 | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the total population and the percentages for Manhattan, the data for the other four districts is grouped together as a single entity, which misses the opportunity to compare individual districts like Brooklyn or Queens. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific comparisons between the districts rather than just grouping them. The overview is clear, but the supporting details could be more analytical.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In 2000' helps the reader follow the progression of information. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is a bit abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes slightly unclear, particularly when referring to the 'other districts' as a collective group. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the total population data from the district-specific data, which aids readability.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'residents', and 'steadily rose'. However, there is a lack of variety and precision. You repeat the word 'population' and 'total' frequently, which makes the writing feel somewhat repetitive. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates' (subject-verb agreement) and 'five district' instead of 'five districts'. To improve, try to use synonyms like 'inhabitants', 'demographic figures', or 'the majority of residents' to enhance the sophistication of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'The first table illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), 'second and third table provides' (missing article and agreement), and 'For other districts such as Brooklyn... had' (incorrect sentence structure). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Increasing the accuracy of basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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