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 the other two tables demonstrate the population of five districts of New York City changes over 200 years from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, Manhattan covered the largest part in the city population in 1800, but it drastically decreased over the period. The other four districts population kept increasing from 1800 to 2000.
The population of New York City was 79,216 in 1800 and most of the people living in the city was from Manhattan, which was 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 features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shifting proportions of the five districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify the decline in Manhattan's share and the growth of the other districts, the report lacks a more detailed comparison of the specific districts (e.g., the rise of Brooklyn or Queens). The data is presented accurately, but the summary could be more analytical by grouping the districts or highlighting the most significant shifts more clearly. The overview is present but could be more comprehensive regarding the trends across the entire 200-year period.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the total population to the district-specific changes. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'The population of...', 'In 1900...', 'In 2000...'). Some transitions between sentences feel abrupt, and the referencing could be smoother to improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods, which helps the reader navigate the information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of the data. You use some appropriate terms such as 'drastically decreased', 'contributed', and 'proportion'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'Manhattan lost population contribution' and 'took a high jump'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise collocations and a wider variety of verbs and nouns to describe statistical trends, avoiding repetitive structures.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'most of the people living in the city was' (should be 'were') and 'other four districts was' (should be 'were'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the quality of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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