Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24
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 change in population of American city New York from the year 1800 to 2000, while the other two represent percentage of population of Manhattan district and other four respectively. Second and third table measure population in percentages.
Overall, population of in New York City rose dramatically from 1900 to 2000. All districts show significant increase in percentage of population except Manhattan in comparison to total population, which showed continuous decline throughout the given period. There was a considerable change in population of New York City throughout the given period, but the biggest one was from 1900 to 2000, which rose population from 3.4 million to 8 million approximately. However, Manhattan share of new york population declined continously. It was 76% in 1800, but after considerable decline it reached to only 19%.
On the other hand, other districts of New York increased their percentage rapidly and accounted for 81% of total population in the year 2000. But at the start Manhattan alone represented major ratio of New York City with 76% of total population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the response lacks precision in reporting data. For example, you mention the population rose from 3.4 million to 8 million, but the table shows 3.4 million in 1900 and 8 million in 2000; clarifying these specific years would improve the report. Additionally, the description of the 'other four' districts is slightly vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are clearly linked to their respective years and categories, and avoid generalisations like 'other four' without specifying which districts are included.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and supporting details. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'On the other hand', to signal shifts in the argument. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the opening sentence where the phrasing 'other four respectively' is grammatically awkward. Improving the transition between the general population data and the district-specific percentages would help the text read more naturally and improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatically', 'significant increase', and 'accounted for'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'major ratio' instead of 'major proportion' or 'share', and 'rose population' instead of 'the population rose'. There are also minor errors in article usage, such as 'American city New York' instead of 'the American city of New York'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring articles are used correctly when referring to specific geographical entities.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with article usage ('in New York City', 'the year 2000') and sentence construction ('population of in New York City'). Some sentences are slightly fragmented or awkward, such as 'Second and third table measure population in percentages.' While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent article usage will significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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