Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-08
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)
Three tables are given here. The first table illustrates the changes in the total population of new york city.The other two tables shows the changes in the population of the five districts of the city including manhattan,brooklyn,bronx,queens and staten island from the year 1800 to 2000.
Overal it is clear that population of the new york city has significantly increased with the period of time.
On the other hand, the population of the new york citys district manthan, relatively decresead from year 1800 to 2000 and the population in the other 4 districts increased over the few years.
Looking at first table, we can see that the overal population of new york city in 1800 was 79,216, that gradually increases to 8009,185 in 2000.
In comparison to the all 5 districts of new york city, it is shown that the population in the other 4 disctrics has been incresed in these years but the population in Manthan district declined with time.
It is clearly shown that Mnathans population deceases from 76% to 19% in year 2000.
While population in remaing distructs increases from 24%in 1800 to 81% in 2000.
In conclusion, it is stated that the population of new york increases beacause of the percentage of people moving to the other districts has increased.
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, such as the overall population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student identifies the decline in Manhattan's percentage but fails to provide specific data points from the tables to support the trends effectively. Furthermore, there are inaccuracies in the data reporting, such as the figure '8009,185' which is confusingly formatted. To reach a higher band, you should provide more precise comparisons between the districts and ensure that all figures are transcribed accurately from the source text.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'the population of'. There are also issues with referencing; for example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The logical flow is present, but the connections between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would significantly improve the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors, such as 'Manthan' instead of 'Manhattan', 'disctrics', 'incresed', and 'deceases'. These errors are frequent and occasionally distract the reader. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying heavily on basic terms like 'increased' and 'decreased'. To improve, you should focus on using more varied synonyms and ensuring accurate spelling of key terms related to the task, such as the names of the districts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include missing articles ('in year 2000'), incorrect verb tenses ('population... has been incresed'), and punctuation errors. The sentence structure is often repetitive, and the lack of control over basic grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement and pluralisation, is noticeable. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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