Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-05

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 overall New York City (NYC) population has been highlited in a tabular format. There are other tables that denote the distribution of full population among five districts of the city: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.

The main given table compares total population from 1800 to 2000 which has drastically increased. In 1800s total NYC population was nearly 80k which within 100 years increased by nearly 420% resulting in nearly 3 million people, furthermore it was increased by another nearly 150% resulting in nearly 8 million as of 2000.

Manhattan was one of the most popular districts of NYC. In 1800s it contained nearly eighth part of the population, whereas after exactly 100 years this number dropeed to fifth of the total population which resulted more than 1.7 million people living there. During 2000 this number dropped to 1.5 million resulting in losing some of it's population.

Compared to Manhattan, other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island had their fair share of popluation. In 1800 the population was a quarter of the NYC, somehow in 100 years it drastically increased to more than a hundred percent resulting in 1.5 million people distributed accros these 5 districts. During 2000 more than 6.3 million people were populated in these five districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main trends in the data, identifying the overall growth of NYC and the shifting population distribution across the five districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the statement that Manhattan contained 'nearly eighth part' of the population in 1800 is inaccurate based on the provided data, and the grouping of the other four districts into a single category obscures the specific trends for each, which is a key requirement for a full summary of the provided tables. While the main features are highlighted, the lack of precision in data reporting and the failure to distinguish between the individual districts limit the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview of the total population, and separate sections for the districts. The use of cohesive devices such as 'furthermore', 'whereas', and 'compared to' helps guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'somehow in 100 years'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when grouping the four districts together, which makes the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of information throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends (e.g., 'drastically increased', 'distributed'). However, there are several spelling errors ('highlited', 'dropeed', 'accros', 'popluation') and minor collocation issues ('populated in these five districts' instead of 'distributed across'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors rather than more precise academic terminology. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on accuracy in spelling and using more sophisticated collocations to describe statistical changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'it's' instead of 'its', and issues with article usage and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'in 1800s' instead of 'in the 1800s'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'resulting in losing some of it's population'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of possessive pronouns.

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