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 variations in the total population of New York City from year 1800 to 2000 is present in the first table, while over the same time period, the changes in population of the five districts of the city including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island are shown in second and third table.
In first table, there is increase in the population over the time period. The total population of New York City including all 5 districts is 79,216 in year 1800 while it have a great increase over a hundred years. In year 1900, the population rose to 3,437,202 which shows a significant increase while in year 2000 the population was up to 8,009,185.
The second table shows that there was 76% increment in population of Manhattan district in year 1800 with overall population of 60,515. Meanwhile there was 54%(1,850,093) and 19%(1,538,096) of increase in population for the year 1900 and 2000 respectively.
The third table displays the increase in population of other districts of New York City. There was significant elevation of population over the time period. The population increased for 24%, 46% and 81% for year 1800, 1900, and 2000 respectively. The population in year 1800 was 18,701 and 1,587,109 in year 1900 while 6,471,089 in year 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main trends in the population data, but the analysis is significantly flawed due to a misunderstanding of the data. You have misinterpreted the percentage figures in the tables, treating them as absolute population counts or incorrectly attributing them to the wrong years. For example, stating that Manhattan had a '76% increment' in 1800 is factually incorrect based on the provided table. Furthermore, the grouping of the other four districts into a single 'third table' category lacks the necessary detail to fully report the main features. To improve, ensure you accurately transcribe and interpret the data provided in the prompt rather than inventing relationships between the figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by the inaccurate data interpretation. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Meanwhile' and 'In first table', but they are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the 'third table', as it is not immediately obvious which data points are being compared. To improve, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices to link sentences more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, accurate topic sentence that reflects the data correctly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on repetitive phrases like 'increase in the population' and 'significant increase'. There are also issues with word choice, such as 'increment' used in a context where 'proportion' or 'percentage' would be more accurate. The use of 'elevation' to describe population growth is also slightly unnatural in this context. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied and precise vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'surged', 'accounted for', or 'experienced a steady rise'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several subject-verb agreement errors, such as 'The variations... is present' (should be 'are present') and 'it have a great increase' (should be 'it had'). Additionally, there are missing articles throughout the text, such as 'In first table' (should be 'In the first table'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly subject-verb agreement and article usage, will significantly improve the quality of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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