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 illustrates the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. Moreover, second and third table gave the details of population of the five different districts over the same period. In the first table number of population is given and in second and third table population with percentage is given.
Overall, it can be seen that population of New York City is increasing continuously. It rise by 7,929,969 population till 2000. In addition to this, Manhattan face decrement in total population as percentage. On the other side, other districts face positive changes in population. However, in 2000 Manhattan faced drop in population.
In year 1800, New York City and all five districts had 79,216 population in total. Moreover, it climbed 8,009,185 in 2000. It was the total population of New York City and other five districts. Whereas, in Manhattan there was 60,515 only , it increase and climb 1,538,096 population but somehow percentage of total population drop year by year. In 1800 it was 76% but in 2000 it was only 19%.
Furthermore, Other districts faced positive changes in population and total percentage both. In 1800, population of other districts was only 18,701 with 24% but it increase in 2000 and rise to 6,471,089 with 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 features of the data, such as the overall population growth and the shift in percentage share between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student identifies the total growth but fails to provide a more nuanced comparison of the specific districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) individually, grouping them together as 'other districts' throughout the report. While the key trends are identified, the lack of detail regarding the specific growth patterns of the individual boroughs limits the depth of the response. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated to highlight the most significant trends across the two-century period.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition to this', 'On the other side', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as the transition between the total population figures and the specific Manhattan data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the supporting details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe trends such as 'increasing continuously', 'decrement', and 'positive changes'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'number of population is given' instead of 'population figures are provided' and 'Manhattan face decrement' instead of 'Manhattan experienced a decrease'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors rather than more precise academic terminology. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and occasional inaccuracies prevent a higher score.
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 affect the fluency of the text. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('second and third table gave', 'Manhattan face decrement'), tense inconsistencies ('It rise by', 'it increase and climb'), and missing articles ('In year 1800'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing and comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and detract from the overall quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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