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 first table elucidates information about the changes in the total population of New York city whereas other two table provides information about changes in the population of the five districts of the city Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island from 1800 to 2000.
It can be clearly seen that in the first table, New York city including all five districts had the total population of 79,216 in 1800. In the year 1900 and 2000 the population of the city was 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 respectively.
Moving further, the changes took place in the population of the Manhattan city in the subsequent years. In 1800, the changes in the population were 60,515 which was 76% of total population. While, in 1900 and 2000 there was 1,850,093 and 1,538,096 in the population changes which were accounted for 54% of the total people. Other districts including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island experienced changes in the population in 1800 was 18,701 which was 24% of the total natives. In the following years, 1900 and 2000 changes in the population were 1,587,109 and 6,471,089 which were 45% and 81% respectively.
Overall, the total population of New York city in 1800 was below 80000 whereas, in 1900 and 2000 there was a huge increase. The Manhattan city witnessed highest population change (76%) in 1800 and lowest changes were experienced (24%) in other four districts.
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 districts. However, the analysis is hampered by a misunderstanding of the data. You describe the figures as 'changes in the population,' whereas the tables clearly show the total population counts for those years. This misinterpretation leads to inaccurate reporting of the data. While you identify the main trends, the lack of precision in describing what the numbers represent prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully read the table headings and labels before writing to avoid misrepresenting the provided information.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a summary. There is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Moving further,' 'In the following years,' and 'Overall.' However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the 'other districts' as a group. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the connection between the total population and the district-specific data could be more smoothly integrated to improve the overall readability of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'elucidates,' 'subsequent,' and 'witnessed.' However, there are issues with word choice and collocation. For example, referring to the districts as 'Manhattan city' is inaccurate, and using 'changes in the population' to describe static population totals is a significant lexical error. While you attempt to use some less common vocabulary, the inaccuracies in how you describe the data points limit the effectiveness of your lexical range. Focusing on precise terminology related to data description would improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'other two table provides' (subject-verb agreement) and 'Manhattan city' (incorrect article/noun usage). Additionally, the phrasing 'there was 1,850,093 and 1,538,096 in the population changes' is grammatically awkward and confusing. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. To reach a higher band, you should focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound when reporting complex data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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