Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-23
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 illustrates total changes of population of New York City between 1800 and 2000, whereas the second and third tables provides data of changes in population in five particular City ( Manhattan , Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over two centuries.
Overall, there's a steady increasing in number of population in New York and other five districts Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, while the Manhattan, experience consistent downward trajectory.
In New York City, population was just about over 79 Thousand in 1800, followed in 1900 with more than 3 million and end in 2000 that reach a peak of over 8 million people over the period. In other districts, find similar trend, that start with estimated 18 thousand of people in 1800 and more than 1.5 million of population in 1900 and over 6 million in 2000.
However in Manhattan, provide data population of about 76% in 1800 that end with 19% in last decade.
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, such as the overall growth in New York City and the contrasting trend in Manhattan. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the grouping of the other four districts as a single entity is a reasonable approach, but the data reporting is occasionally inaccurate or confusing, such as the claim that Manhattan ended with '19% in last decade' without clarifying that this refers to a percentage share of the total population. The response would benefit from more precise comparisons between the districts and a clearer distinction between the total population figures and the percentage distributions provided in the tables.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'followed in 1900 with' and 'In other districts, find similar trend' are grammatically awkward and disrupt the flow of information. While there is a clear attempt at an overview, the transition between the general city data and the specific district data is abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'steady increasing in number of population' (should be 'steady increase in the population') and 'downward trajectory'. The use of 'find similar trend' is also non-standard. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of control over collocations and word forms limits the effectiveness of the communication. Expanding the range of descriptive verbs and nouns related to data trends would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'the second and third tables provides data' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'In other districts, find similar trend' (missing subject). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of parentheses and commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would lead to immediate improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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