Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-20
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. The second and third tables illustrate the population of the five districts ( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten and Island) over the same period.
Overall, the population of New York city increased significantly over the period. The percentages of total population for Manhattan declined, while the percentages of total population for other four( Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten and Island) cities increased by the end of 2000.
In 18000, New York had total of 79,216 population, from that the Manhattan had the highest amount of population stood at 76% with 60,515 numbers of people, while the other four cities (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten and Island) had only 18,701 of total population, which stood at 24%. In 1900, New York had 3,437,202 of total population, out of that almost the same amount of population was covered by the Manhattan and other four cities, accounted for 1,850,093 and 1,587,109 and stood at 54% and 46% respectively.
In the end of 2000, the New York grew with significant number of population at 8,009,185. The Manhattan had 1,538,096 which accounted for the percentages of total population at 19%, while the other four cities had 6,41,089 which accounted for most of the percentages of total population at 81%.
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 all parts of the task by summarizing the population changes in New York City and its districts. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the overall growth and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other four districts. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting; for example, you mention '18000' instead of 1800 and misstate the population figure for the other four districts in 2000 as '6,41,089' instead of 6,471,089. While the main features are highlighted, the precision of the data reporting needs improvement to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the general trend to specific data points. You use some cohesive devices such as 'while', 'in the end of', and 'respectively' to link ideas. However, the use of referencing is occasionally mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more refined. The transition between the general overview and the specific data points is functional, but the overall flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the sentences more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'significantly', 'accounted for', and 'respectively'. However, there are some errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'other four cities' (they are districts, not cities) and 'grew with significant number of population'. Additionally, there are minor issues with number formatting and punctuation. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to data description and ensure that your word choices are contextually accurate.
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, including missing articles ('the Manhattan'), incorrect preposition usage ('in the end of 2000'), and subject-verb agreement issues. There are also errors in number representation and punctuation. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring grammatical accuracy will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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