Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-21

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)

While the former tabular chart demonstrates how the total population of New York city varied between 1800 and 2000, the other two tables depict the detailed information about the changes in the population of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island during same timeline.

To begin with the first table, the total population of New York was recorded to be 79216 in 2018, which rose significantly to [redacted phone] in 2019 and then, to [redacted phone] in 2000.

Moving further, in 1800, the highest proportion (76%)of the total population lived in Manhattan which was 60515 in number.Although the population of this district increased up to [redacted phone] in 2019, it was consisted of only 54% of total population. Interestingly, only 19% of population belonged to this district during 2000 and the number also decreased sharply to [redacted phone].

In terms of third table, only one-third proportion of total population belonged to the

Remaining four districts in 1800 and the figure was noted to be 18701 only.During 1900, this count and percentage increased considerably to [redacted phone] and 46%, respectively. Lastly, all these four districts gave residence to third-fourth portion of the total populace and [redacted phone] people.

Overall, there was a continuous growth in total population of the city. However, majority of the people were the residents of Manhattan district during 1800 but the biggest portion of population started residing in other four districts during 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student cites 2018 and 2019 instead of 1850 and 1900 as provided in the prompt. Additionally, the statement that Manhattan comprised 76% of the population in 1800 is incorrect based on the provided table. While the overview is clear, the failure to accurately transcribe the data points significantly undermines the task achievement, as the information provided is factually inconsistent with the source material.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific tables, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moving further', and 'Overall' are used to guide the reader through the information. However, the referencing is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the second and third tables could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas, although the factual errors within the body paragraphs slightly disrupt the logical flow of the data analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with attempts at using terms like 'proportion', 'populace', and 'considerably'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'it was consisted of' (should be 'it consisted of') and 'third-fourth portion' (should be 'three-quarters'). These errors do not generally impede communication, but they demonstrate a lack of precision. The student relies on basic vocabulary to describe trends, and more sophisticated collocations would be required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and prepositions, such as 'during same timeline' (missing 'the'), 'it was consisted of', and 'in terms of third table' (missing 'the'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with spacing after commas and periods. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a lack of control over complex structures, which limits the score in this criterion.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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