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 above illustrate the variations in whole population of New York along with it's five districts between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, New York records the highest proportion of population in the designated period. Additionally, district Manhattan stays on the bottom in 2000. However, there was significant increase in percentage of population in other four districts with the time.
In 1800, the population of New York was significantly low but highest among all the other districts at 79,216. In the following years, a massive increase in population was seen. Due to urbanization and growth of population in 2000, the citizens of New York were reached to 8,009,185 which was the highest number of residents among other all districts.
In 1800, the district Manhattan, contained 76% of total population of New York but with the passage of time its percentage keeps on falling. The proportion of total population was only remained 19% which was only 1,538,096 in 2000.While other four districts showed great boost in population. In 1800, the population was only 24%, the lowest of that time but with the passage of time it showed great improvement. However, in 1900, it's population almost doubled and in 2000 the population was 6,471,089 which was 81% of the 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 shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data. For instance, the student states that Manhattan 'stays on the bottom' in 2000, which is factually incorrect based on the provided table, and the description of the other districts as a single group is a significant over-generalisation. While the key trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting specific figures and the misinterpretation of the data trends limit the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific data points. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In the following years', 'However', and 'In addition', though some are used mechanically or slightly inappropriately (e.g., 'with the time'). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally confusing, particularly when discussing the 'other four districts' as a collective entity, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the specific trends for each district.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'whole population' instead of 'total population', 'citizens of New York were reached to' instead of 'reached', and 'great boost'. The student attempts to use some academic vocabulary, but the collocation is often unnatural. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the limited control over precise terminology prevents a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the district Manhattan'), subject-verb agreement ('it's population'), and tense usage ('was only remained'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas and the use of apostrophes (e.g., 'it's' used for possessive 'its'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.