Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-18
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 tables represent the changes in total population of New York City and population of five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, the population of New York City increased significantly throughout the period, reaching its highest level by the end. In terms of districts , Manhattan accounted for the largest proportion initially, before declining by the end of the period. Meanwhile, other districts starting at smallest proportion, peaked by the end of the period.
New York city`s population stood at 79,216 in 1800. The number rose to 3,437,202 by 1900. Further total population peaked at 8,009,185 by 2000. In terms of districts, Manhattan accounted for the largest share at 76% with number of 60,515 residents in 1800. The percentage declined to 54% but residence number rose to 1,850,093 by 1900, before recording the smallest share at 19% and resident number peaked at 1,538,096 of total population in 2000.
In terms of other districts, population recording the smallest share of 24% with 18,701 people in 1800. The proportion of total population rose to 46% and number of resident increased to 1,587,109 by 1900. The total percentage peaked at 81% recorded the largest number of 6,471,089 residence in 2000.
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 covers the main features of the data, including the overall growth of New York City and the shifting proportions of the districts. However, the analysis of the districts is somewhat confusing. You group the other four districts together as 'other districts' without naming them, which makes the data reporting less precise. While you identify the trends (Manhattan's decline in share vs. the growth of the others), the summary could be improved by explicitly mentioning the specific districts that contributed most to the growth. The data points are generally accurate, but the lack of clarity in distinguishing the specific district trends prevents a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Meanwhile', and 'before recording', which help the flow of information. However, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where 'population recording the smallest share' is grammatically awkward and makes the progression of ideas slightly disjointed. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general city data from the district-specific data, but the internal cohesion within the final paragraph needs more careful construction to ensure the reader follows the comparison easily.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted for', 'proportion', and 'peaked'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'residence number' instead of 'number of residents' and 'total percentage peaked at 81% recorded the largest number'. These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight a need for more precise control over noun phrases and reporting verbs. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more varied and sophisticated ways to describe statistical changes beyond simple 'rose' or 'declined'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'New York city`s' (incorrect punctuation), 'other districts starting at smallest proportion' (missing article), and 'number of resident increased' (singular/plural mismatch). There are also instances of fragmented or awkward phrasing, such as 'Further total population peaked'. These errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the data. Improving subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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