Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-06
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 given first table describes information about the total population from 1800 to 2000 in New York city , second and third tables show Manhattan and other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island changes in population.
According to the first table, in the year 1800 population of New York was 79,216 and increased three times about 3,437,202 in 1900 and shot up drastically in 2000 around 8,009,185. Second table describes about the Manhattan change in population. In 1800, population was around 60,515 of total population was 76%. Population increased to 1,850,093 in 1900 with the 54% of total population. Total population decrease to 19% with the population of 1,538,096 in 2000.
Furthermore, third table give information about the other four districts change in population. In the year 1800 population was around 18,701 including 4 districts and total change in population is about 24%. It increased to 1,587,109 in 1900 with the 46% of total population. It increased six times then previously in 2000 about 6,471,089 also increased in total population about 81%.
All in all, Manhattan district which is in New York with the highest population in contribution.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main trends in the population data, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify the overall growth and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts, the comparison between the two tables is not fully developed. For instance, you mention the percentage changes but do not clearly contrast the growth rates of the individual districts against the total. The summary is functional, but to reach a higher band, you should focus more on highlighting significant trends, such as the reversal of the population share between Manhattan and the other districts, rather than just listing figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction and separate sections for the tables. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In the year 1800', 'It increased to'). The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and the final concluding sentence is grammatically incomplete and lacks a clear connection to the preceding data. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall cohesion of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'increased' and 'describe'. There are also some awkward phrasings, such as 'shot up drastically' and 'highest population in contribution', which are not natural collocations in an academic context. To improve, try to incorporate more varied vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'experienced a decline', or 'accounted for a significant proportion'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the word choice often feels repetitive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'second and third tables show Manhattan and other districts... changes in population' lacks necessary articles and prepositions. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles throughout (e.g., 'in the year 1800 population of New York was...'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on article usage and sentence structure will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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