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 shows the changes in total population of New York over the time period between 1800 and 2000. The second and third table shows the population of five different cities over the same period.
Overall, all the tables shows what is the total population of the five different cities in New York between 1800 and 2000.
Firstly, it can be seen that, as the year passed from 1800 to 2000, the population increased steadily from 79,216 to 8,009,185 at the end of the period. From 1800 to 1900, population incrased almost double, and again from 1900 to 2000, the same growing results showed up.
Moreover, in cities, population of Manhattan was around 76% from other four countries. But, in 1900 it was declined to 54%, and at the end of the period, population of other four countries which includes Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island grew upto 81%, leaving the population of Manhattan at around 19% 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 addresses the task by summarizing the population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other boroughs. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student identifies the overall growth trend and the shift in percentages, but fails to provide a detailed breakdown of the specific data points or compare the boroughs effectively. The term 'cities' is used incorrectly to refer to the five boroughs of New York, which is a factual inaccuracy that impacts the clarity of the report. To reach a higher band, the student should include more specific data points from the tables and ensure accurate terminology is used throughout the summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Firstly', 'Moreover'). The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when the student refers to 'other four countries' instead of 'boroughs' or 'districts'. While the progression of ideas is logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional confusion in referencing limit the flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. The student uses basic terms like 'growing results' and 'showed up', which are not ideal for an academic report. There are also significant errors in word choice, such as referring to the boroughs as 'cities' and 'countries'. These inaccuracies hinder the professional tone required for Academic Task 1. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'significant increase', 'proportion', or 'distribution', and ensure they understand the correct terminology for the subject matter.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('all the tables shows', 'population... was declined') and incorrect preposition usage ('grew upto'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent and noticeable throughout the text. The student needs to focus on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, to achieve a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy would also be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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