Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-19
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 illustrate total population of New York citiy from 1800 to 2000 and the population of the five districts of the city over same period.
Overall, other districts experienced the most significant increased over the period, while mahattan percentage of population decreased over the period. By end of the period, other district had the highest figure, whereas manhattan reorded the lowest.
Looking first at, overall population of new york city, it rose from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185
in 2000.manhattan population also climbed drastically from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,538,096 in 2000. Although it made a surge in population the percentage of total population in mahattan which contribute to the population of new york city has been decreased to 19 percent, it had been 76 percent in 1800 and which then plunged in to 54 percent in 1900.
Turning to other districts, the percentage of population is consistently going upwards starting just at 24 percent in 1800 and the population was 18,701 then, it rose to 46 percent in 1900 with population being 1,587,109 . By 2000 the percentage of population stricked a staggering number of 81 percent with 6,471,089 people.
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 overall growth of New York City and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat uneven. While the total population figures are reported accurately, the description of the percentage shifts is occasionally confusing, particularly the phrasing regarding 'other districts' versus the specific district names. The response would benefit from a more structured comparison of the five districts rather than grouping them into a single 'other' category, as the prompt explicitly mentions all five. The overview is clear, but the supporting details could be more precisely linked to the provided data points to ensure a fully developed response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Looking first at' and 'Turning to', which help guide the reader. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'which then plunged in to 54 percent'. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'other districts' as a collective group. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the general city data and the specific district data could be smoother to improve the overall flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the main trends. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'drastically', 'plunged', and 'staggering', which are appropriate for describing statistical trends. However, there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'citiy', 'mahattan', 'reorded', 'stricked') and some minor collocation issues. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider range of precise academic vocabulary to reach a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('at overall population'), incorrect verb forms ('has been decreased'), and punctuation issues. Some sentences are run-on or lack necessary prepositions. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the report. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the consistent use of articles, as well as ensuring that complex structures are punctuated correctly to avoid confusion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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