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)
The table provides information about the population of New York City and the proportion of people living in Manhattan and the other four districts from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, New York City's population increased considerably over the period. However, Manhattan's share of the total population declined substantially, while the other four districts' populations rose significantly.
In 1800, New York City's population accounted for 79216, it rose noticeably by 1900 to 3.4 million and then more than doubled in the year 2000 to approximately 8 million.
Manhattan had 60515 population in 1800, which accounted for 76%. It showed a dramatic fall to 19% in 2000. Whereas the other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) showed a noteworthy rise in the proportion of the total population from 24% to 81%, respectively, or 18701 to 6.4 million in 2000 year.
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 provides a clear overview of the main trends, identifying the growth in total population and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the depth of the analysis. While key figures are cited, the report lacks a more detailed comparison of the specific growth patterns within the individual districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) as requested by the prompt. To improve, ensure you meet the word count requirement and provide a more comprehensive breakdown of the data provided in the tables to fully address all parts of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In 1800', and 'Whereas' are used to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the specific data points. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the transition between the general population trends and the specific district data could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally accurate, though the final sentence is slightly cluttered, which affects the flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with some good attempts at descriptive language such as 'considerably', 'substantially', and 'dramatic fall'. However, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'accounted for 79216' (which should be 'was 79,216') and 'in 2000 year'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as '60515 population' (should be 'a population of 60,515') and the awkward phrasing 'respectively, or 18701 to 6.4 million'. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with number formatting and clarity. While the errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring greater accuracy in subject-verb agreement and preposition use would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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