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)
The first tabular chart depicts the transformation that took place in number of population of New York City in the time period from 1800 to 2000.On the other hand, the second and third table shows the population records in five various districts namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island of the New York city in the same time frame.
Overall, in the first chart the volume of population scored the highest in 2000. Meanwhile in other charts, Manhattan showed least amount of total number of people in 2000.
Analyzing the charts, it is notice able from the first table which showed increased number of people over the years in New York city. In the year 1800 population was almost 80,000 which rose 3 times of it in 1900 and finally in 2000, it reached to a peak of 8,009,185.
Turning to districts population numbers and ratios, Manhattan was the largest in population and ratios in 1800 with 60,515 and 76% respectively. Following the years, the the ratio declined but the number of people grew at 19% and population with 1,538,096. Considering the other cities, both population and percentage show inclined trend with 6,471,089 and 81% in the year 2000.Moreover, the number were only about 18,000 in the initial year 1800 with the ratio of 24 % only.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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, including the overall growth of New York City and the shifting population distribution across districts. However, the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the statement that Manhattan had the 'least amount of total number of people in 2000' is factually incorrect based on the provided table, which shows Manhattan had over 1.5 million people. Additionally, the comparison of the 'other cities' (districts) is confusingly phrased and lacks clarity regarding the specific data points for Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting data and some inaccurate interpretations prevent a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Overall', and 'Turning to' are used to signal shifts in focus. However, the progression of ideas within the final paragraph is disjointed. The transition between discussing Manhattan and the 'other cities' is abrupt, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the specific districts and the aggregate data.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with attempts to use terms like 'transformation', 'time frame', and 'declined'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'volume of population', 'inclined trend' (when referring to an upward trend), and 'the number were only about'. These errors occasionally make the text sound unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the second and third table shows', 'the number were'), missing articles ('in number of population'), and awkward phrasing ('which showed increased number of people'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a lack of control over complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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