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 first table gives information about changes in total population of New York City from year 1800 to 2000. The second table gives information about changes in total population of Manhattan district from year 1800 to 2000. The third table gives information about changes in population of four districts of the city (Brooklyn, Bronx Queens, Staten Island) during the same years.
Overall, the population of New York City increased from 1800 to 2000. The population of Manhattan also see an increase from year 1800 to 2000. The population of other 4 districts also rose from year 1800 to 2000.
The population of New York City was 79216 in year 1800 which reached at Number of 34,37,202 in year 1900 and then reached at number of 80,09,185 in year 2000.
The population of Manhattan district was 60515 in year 1800 which was 76% of total population. The population of Manhattan district reached at number of 15,38,096 in year 2000 which was 19% of total population. The population of other four districts was 18701 in year 1800 which was 24% of total population. The population of other four districts reached at number of 64,71,089 in year 2000 which was 81% of total population.
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 trends in the data, identifying the overall growth in population for New York City and its districts. However, the report is somewhat mechanical and lacks a sophisticated synthesis of the data. While you correctly identify the growth, the comparison between Manhattan and the other districts is presented in a very repetitive, list-like fashion. To reach a higher band, you should aim to group data more effectively and highlight the most significant changes or contrasts, rather than simply listing figures for each year. The inclusion of percentages is a good attempt at analysis, but the overall structure feels like a series of isolated facts rather than a cohesive summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite repetitive and mechanical. For example, the phrase 'The population of... was... which was...' is used repeatedly throughout the final paragraph, making the writing feel monotonous. There is a lack of varied linking words or transition phrases to connect ideas more fluidly. To improve, try to use a wider range of cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', 'consequently', or 'while', and vary your sentence structures to avoid the repetitive pattern of stating a figure followed by a percentage.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'gives', 'increased', 'rose', and 'reached'. The phrase 'reached at Number of' is unnatural and incorrect; 'reached a figure of' or 'stood at' would be more appropriate. There is little attempt to use less common vocabulary or more sophisticated collocations related to data trends (e.g., 'experienced a significant surge', 'accounted for', 'witnessed a decline'). Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns would significantly improve the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors that affect the flow. For instance, 'The population of Manhattan also see an increase' should be 'saw an increase'. The phrasing 'reached at Number of' is grammatically incorrect. Additionally, there are issues with article usage (e.g., 'from year 1800' should be 'from the year 1800'). While the meaning is generally clear, the persistent errors in verb tense and prepositional usage prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more accurate preposition use will help.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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