Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11
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 tables compare the number of individuals living in 5 different districts of New York City from the year 1800 to 2000. Overall it can be seen that Manhattan had seen a downward trend in percentage of total population over the years as compared to other districts of New York.
The population of New York had changed dramatically from 1800 to 2000 The number of people in the year 2000 are 80 times than those present in the year 1800. Surprisingly, there is a population explosion between 1800 and 1900 in New York.
In the year 1800, 76% of the total 79,216 people lived in Manhattan District and the the remainder 24% lived in other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and State Island. That percentage steadily fall from 54% in 1900 to 19% in 2000 in Manhattan as compared to the drastic increase in 46% and 81% in the year 1900 and 2000 respectively in other districts of New York.
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 population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat limited. While you identify the downward trend for Manhattan, you could have provided more specific data points for the other districts to better illustrate the 'comparisons' requested in the prompt. The statement '80 times than those present' is mathematically inaccurate based on the provided table (79,216 to 8,008,278 is roughly 100 times). Ensure that data interpretation is precise to maintain accuracy in reporting.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general population trend from the district-specific data. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'In the year 1800' and 'as compared to', but the flow is occasionally mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though the repetition of 'the' in 'the the remainder' and minor phrasing issues slightly disrupt the professional tone of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'downward trend', 'population explosion', and 'drastic increase'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, '80 times than those present' is awkward; '80 times greater than the figure in' would be more natural. Additionally, 'State Island' is a spelling error for 'Staten Island'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'proportion' instead of 'percentage' or 'diminished' instead of 'fall'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'the the remainder' (repetition), 'percentage steadily fall' (should be 'fell' or 'has fallen'), and '80 times than' (incorrect comparative structure). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences lack necessary commas to improve readability. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the information, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing historical data.
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.