Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-17
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 three tables illustrate the total number of people in New York city between 1800 and 2000. Another table presents the total number of residents and percentage of Manhattan and third the illustrates the sum of other four cities population and the four district are Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
Overall, In 2000, the total population was the highest, whereas it was the lowest in 1800. In 1800, the population of Manhattan was more than three times that of the other four district combined.
In 1800, the total population of all five districts was 79,216 and more than 4 times was in1900 at 3,437,202, whereas In 2000 the total number of individuals was more than two times from 1900 at 8,009,185. On the other hand, the total resident lived in Manhattan were 76% and population were 60,515, somehow the other districts at 18701 and percentage were 24%. Moreover, In 1900, the total residents were 46% in four districts at 1,587,109 and other lived in Manhattan at 1,850,093. However, the total individuals was lived in other districts at 81% and population were 6,471,089 and rest lived in Manhattan was 1,538,096.
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 shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other four districts. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview that synthesizes the trends effectively. While the key figures are present, the comparison between the districts is occasionally confusing due to awkward phrasing, such as 'somehow the other districts at 18701'. The report would benefit from a more precise selection of data points to highlight the dramatic shift from Manhattan-dominance in 1800 to the dominance of the other districts by 2000.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive or misused, such as the awkward transition 'somehow the other districts'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to track which data points correspond to which time periods or categories. While there is a logical progression from the general population to the specific district breakdown, the internal cohesion within paragraphs needs improvement to ensure a smoother reading experience.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There is a reliance on basic phrasing, such as 'total number of people' and 'total residents'. Some word choices are inaccurate or unnatural in this context, for example, 'sum of other four cities population' (these are districts, not cities) and 'total individuals was lived'. There are also issues with collocation, such as 'the total resident lived in Manhattan were 76%'. To reach a higher band, you should use more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'experienced a significant increase'.
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 occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('the total individuals was lived'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction ('more than 4 times was in1900 at 3,437,202'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure often feels forced or incomplete. While the meaning is usually retrievable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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