Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-14
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 given table depicts the changes in total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The other two given tables illustrate the changes in total population of different five districts of the city such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and State Island.
Overall, it is clear that the total population increased in all districts except Manhattan and the overall population of New York City also increased by passing decades.
In 1800, the total population of New York City was 79,216, Manhattan had the highest percentage(76%), while other districts had 24% of total population. The total population of New York City showed a drastical increase to 3,437,202 in 1900, and the percentage of Manhattan saw a gradual decrease to 54%, in contrast, other districts' proportion of population rose dramatically to 46%.
In 2000,the figure of New York City increased to more than double, which was 8,009,185. The percentage of Manhattan fell considerably to 19%, however, other districts rose rapidly to 81%.
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 provides a clear overview and identifies key trends. You have successfully highlighted the main features, such as the overall population growth and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, the task requires reporting on all five districts. While you mention them collectively as 'other districts,' you do not provide specific data for individual districts like Brooklyn or Queens, which were provided in the tables. To achieve a higher band, you should select and compare specific data points for these individual districts rather than grouping them entirely, as this limits the depth of your analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'In 1800,' 'In 1900,' and 'In 2000' to sequence the information chronologically. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the overview and the first body paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, the use of referencing is slightly repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is more fluid by using a wider range of cohesive devices to connect the data points more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'depicts,' 'illustrate,' 'proportion,' and 'considerably.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'drastical' is not the correct adjective form; 'drastic' should be used instead. Additionally, 'by passing decades' is not a natural collocation; 'over the decades' or 'as the decades passed' would be more appropriate. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, incorporating more precise academic collocations would elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'different five districts' (should be 'the five different districts') and 'the figure of New York City' (which is slightly imprecise; 'the population figure for New York City' is better). Punctuation is generally clear, though there is a missing space after the comma in '2000,the'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more accurate preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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