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 numbers 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 districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten and Island) increased by the end of 2000.
In 18000, New York had 79,216 numbers of total population, from which Manhattan had the highest amount of population stood at 76% with 60,515 numbers of people, while the other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten and Island) had only 18,701 numbers of total population, which stood at 24%. In 1900, New York had 3,437,202 numbers of total population, out of which, almost the same amount of population was covered by the Manhattan and other four districts, accounted for 1,850,093 and 1,587,109 numbers of individuals and the proportion stood at 54% and 46% respectively.
In the end of 2000, the New York grew significantly with the number of population at 8,009,185. The Manhattan had 1,538,096 numbers of people, which accounted for the percentages of total population at 19%, while the other four districts had 6,41,089 numbers of individuals 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 the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shift in proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, the text mentions '18000' instead of 1800, and the population figure for the other four districts in 2000 is written as '6,41,089', which is confusing and inaccurate compared to the source data. While the key trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting the figures and the minor errors in district names (e.g., 'Staten and Island') prevent a higher score.
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. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'out of which', and 'respectively' are used to link ideas. However, the referencing is sometimes repetitive, and the paragraphing could be improved by ensuring that the transition between the 1900 and 2000 data is smoother. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'significantly', 'proportion', and 'accounted for'. However, there is a lack of variety in reporting numbers, with the phrase 'numbers of population' or 'numbers of individuals' being repeated excessively. There are also errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'In the end of 2000' (should be 'By the end of 2000') and the incorrect naming of 'Staten and Island'. These errors do not impede communication but limit the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the Manhattan', 'the percentages of total population') and number formatting. The use of '18000' is a clear error. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'the New York grew significantly with the number of population at 8,009,185'. Despite these issues, the errors rarely cause confusion for the reader, allowing for a score in the 6.0 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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