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 the total population in New York City from 1800 to 2000, while the two tables display the changes in the number of people across five different districts over the same period.
Overall, it's clear that the population of New York City dramatically increased between 1800 and 2000, while Manhattan experienced a rapid increase over the same period. However, the share decline between 200 years. Furthermore, the population of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island registered growth between 1800 and 2000. In addition, the percentage had increase over the same years.
In 1800, the population of human registered 79,216 and Rapidly increased stood at 8,009,185 , in the end of 2000.
The population in Manhattan shows 60,515 in 1800 and at the end of 1900, it had 1,850,093. After that, it went decline accounting for 1,538,096 in 2000 although the percentage went down from 76% to 19% over the same period.
For the other four districts, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island had seen the growth between 1800 and 2000 from 18,701 to 6,471,089. In addition, the percentage was increased from 24% to 81% across the same period.
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 total population growth and the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the statement 'the share decline between 200 years' is unclear and grammatically problematic, failing to accurately describe the trend. While the key data points are included, the comparison between the districts could be more nuanced. The summary of the 'other four districts' is a good attempt at grouping, but the overall development of the trends lacks the precision required for a higher band. The report is accurate in its data selection but lacks depth in its analytical commentary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'In addition' and 'Furthermore' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. For instance, the transition between the general overview and the specific data in the third paragraph is abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the vague mention of 'the percentage had increase'. While there is an overall progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive sentence structures limit the coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'population of human' instead of 'total population' and 'went decline' instead of 'declined'. The student relies on basic verbs like 'shows' and 'registered' repeatedly. While the student attempts to use some data-related terminology like 'percentage' and 'growth', the lack of variety and the presence of collocation errors (e.g., 'the percentage was increased') indicate a limited lexical range that occasionally hinders the clarity of the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. Issues include incorrect verb tenses ('had increase'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('the share decline between 200 years'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and spacing around numbers. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors means that the student does not demonstrate consistent control over complex structures. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice for reporting data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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