Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-10
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)
First table shows total population of five districts of New York City from the period of 1800 to 2000. During the 19th Century, the number of people living in New York territory were almost 79,216. With the passage of time, this population grew and these numbers had reached to 3.437,202. After that in 21st century, population growth has increased rapidly again. In 2000, it was almost 8,009,185. The table shows the rapid changing in the population of New York City.
In the second and third table, this data describes more details of the population of this city. These tables explain the population data of Manhattan district separately and other four districts are showing data in last one tables. If we analyze the data of just one district that is Manhattan, so we can say that during the period of 1800 to 2000, it's population has decreased rapidly from 76 percentage to 19 percent. Although if we look toward other districts, overall population of remaining four districts has grown from 24% to 81% . So, we can conclude all the data in this way that, Overall population of New York City had increased but the major contribution in this increase was all districts except Manhattan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| 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 the proportion of residents living in Manhattan versus the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student mentions specific figures but does not always interpret them effectively. For instance, the transition from 1800 to 2000 is described, but the specific trends within the intermediate years are largely ignored. The summary is accurate in its identification of the main trend—that Manhattan's share declined while the other districts grew—but it lacks the depth required for a higher band score. The inclusion of some data points is helpful, but the overall reporting could be more analytical.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into two paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short report. There is a logical progression from the total population to the breakdown by district. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'If we analyze the data of just one district that is Manhattan, so we can say that...' and 'So, we can conclude all the data in this way that'. These phrases feel repetitive and slightly unnatural. Paragraphing is used, but the internal flow between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall readability of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There is a reliance on basic phrasing, such as 'with the passage of time' and 'rapid changing'. Some word choices are inaccurate, such as '76 percentage' instead of '76 percent' or '76%'. The student attempts to use some academic terminology, but the range is limited. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to data trends, such as 'accounted for', 'witnessed a decline', or 'proportionally'. The current range is sufficient to communicate the main points but does not demonstrate flexibility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'the number of people... were' (subject-verb agreement), '3.437,202' (incorrect punctuation for numbers), and 'other four districts are showing data in last one tables' (article and pluralization errors). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. The student needs to focus on basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions to achieve a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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