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 group of tables illustrates the changes in the overall population of New York City from the time period of 1800 to 2000s, it also defines the transformation in the populace of the five districts of cities (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island) over the same duration.
Also worth noticing is that the number of residents in 2000 has grown significantly over span of 200 years in all the cities , on the other hand there can be seen a downfall in the population in all the cities during the 1800 and 1900.
The New York being the main district shown a elevation in population from 1800 - 1900 - 2000 as 79,216, and 3,437,202 and lastly 8,009,185 respectively. In addition to that, the percentage(%) of total population in Manhattan and other districts in 1800 has shown a significant decline of 52% with other districts being at only 24% .
Whereas, there is very slight difference in the percentage between Manhattan(54%) and other districts (46%) in the year 1900. On the other hand , the sharp increment of 62% is seen in the year 2000 , between Manhattan and Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island , with Manhattan holding account of 19% ,whereas other districts being on 81%.
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 attempts to summarize the data but struggles with accuracy and clarity. The overview is confusing, particularly the claim that there was a 'downfall in the population' between 1800 and 1900, which contradicts the provided data. While the response identifies the main trends, the interpretation of the percentages is inaccurate; for example, the text states a 'sharp increment of 62%' in 2000, which is a misreading of the table data. The response covers the main features but lacks the precision required for a higher band score due to these factual errors and a lack of clear, logical grouping of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hampered by awkward phrasing and confusing transitions. The use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused, such as 'on the other hand' being used inappropriately to contrast trends that are not actually contradictory. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the 'other districts' versus Manhattan. While the structure is present, the progression of ideas is not always smooth, and the relationship between the sentences is often difficult to follow, which affects the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are instances of word-choice errors, such as 'populace of the five districts of cities' (districts are parts of a city, not cities themselves) and 'holding account of 19%'. The use of 'elevation' to describe population growth is also slightly unnatural in this context. While the student attempts to use some academic vocabulary, the inaccuracies in collocation and word choice occasionally impede the clarity of the message. A wider range of precise, topic-specific vocabulary is needed to move to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('New York being the main district shown a elevation'), punctuation errors (misuse of commas and hyphens), and awkward phrasing ('from the time period of 1800 to 2000s'). The sentence structure is often clunky, and the errors are frequent enough to occasionally cause the reader to pause. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of control over complex structures and persistent minor errors limits the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.