Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13
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 table illustrates total population of New York City and other two tables demonstrate the population of five districts of New York City changes over 200 years from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, Manhattan covered most part in the city population in 1800, but it drastically decrease over the period. The other four districts population kept increase from 1800 to 2000.
The population of New York City is 79,216 in 1800 and most of people living in the city was from Manhattan, which is 76%. In 1900, the population increased dramatically and reached 3,437,202 and again Manhattan took a lead with 54%, other four districts was at 46%. Moreover, Manhattan lost population contribution by 22% and other four districts gained by 22%.
In 2000, the population of New York City became almost triple in size. Furthermore, Manhattan population at its lowest, which is 19%, nevertheless other four districts took a high jump from 46% to 81%.
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 trends and provides relevant data points from the tables. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts, the description of the total population growth is slightly inaccurate; you state the population became 'almost triple' in 2000 compared to 1900, but the data shows it grew from 3.4 million to 8 million, which is more than double but not quite triple. Additionally, the report lacks a clear synthesis of the data, relying heavily on listing percentages rather than comparing the overall growth patterns effectively. To improve, ensure data accuracy and focus on highlighting the most significant changes rather than listing every figure.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore' are used, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the total population table and the district tables could be more explicitly linked to show how the total growth relates to the shifting proportions. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the overview and the specific data points could be better integrated to improve the overall progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic verbs like 'covered', 'decrease', 'increase', and 'took a lead'. There is an attempt to use some specific terminology, but some collocations are awkward, such as 'Manhattan lost population contribution' and 'took a high jump'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more sophisticated vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'accounted for', 'experienced a decline', or 'surged'. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'most of people living in the city was from Manhattan' should be 'most of the people living in the city were from Manhattan'. Additionally, 'other four districts population kept increase' should be 'the population of the other four districts continued to increase'. There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage would significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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