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 tables show the changes in the total population of all five districts of New York City from the year 1800 to 2000.
The total population of all the districts in 1800 was 79,216 and in the year 2000 it rose to 8,009,185. There has been a drastic shift of population in three years. While Manhattan was leading with the largest population of 76% alone in 1800, in 2000 it only covers 19% of the total population.
Manhattan's population at first increased from 76% to 54% in the year 1900 and later in 2000, it reduced to 19% which is a huge gap. On the other hand, The districts- Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island collectively had 24% of population in 1800 which has now become 81% of the total population numbered to 6,471,089.
So basically, The district which once had the highest population has now 6 times lesser population than all four districts combined.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides a basic overview of the data, but it fails to address the task comprehensively. While it mentions the total population and the shift in Manhattan's share, it largely ignores the specific trends for the other four districts, grouping them together instead of highlighting their individual growth patterns. The prompt asks to report main features and make comparisons, but the analysis is superficial and lacks detail regarding the intermediate years (1900). The statement 'drastic shift of population in three years' is factually incorrect based on the provided data, which spans two centuries, not three years. More specific data points from the tables are needed to support the summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by the inaccurate interpretation of the timeframe. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'While', 'On the other hand', and 'So basically', but they are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately. For instance, 'So basically' is too informal for an Academic Task 1 response. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow between the paragraphs could be improved to better connect the initial total population figures with the subsequent district-specific analysis.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. Phrases like 'drastic shift', 'huge gap', and '6 times lesser' are somewhat simplistic or imprecise. The student attempts to use some statistical language, but the word choice is often repetitive. There is a lack of sophisticated collocations or varied terminology to describe trends, such as 'significant decline', 'proportionate increase', or 'dramatic surge'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility needed for a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect clarity, such as 'The districts- Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island collectively had 24% of population' (missing articles) and 'The district which once had the highest population has now 6 times lesser population' (awkward phrasing and incorrect comparative structure). Punctuation is generally functional, but the inconsistent use of capital letters (e.g., 'The districts') and the informal tone detract from the overall quality. The errors do not completely impede communication, but they are frequent enough to limit the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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