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 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.
Overall, the population of New York City increased rapidly from 1800 to 2000, while Manhattan had a significant rise in population in 1800 and 1900, but the data illustrates that in 2000 it had a slight drop. Other districts indicated a huge growth through the same period.
New York City showed a big positive change in its population, starting from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, whereas Manhattan had a slight fall from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. Other districts had a huge gap because the population had a sharp peak from 1,587,109 in 1900 to 6,471,089 in 2000.
New York City had the highest population over the same period, outweighing Manhattan and other districts. On the other hand, Manhattan had the lowest population, and it had not had a noticeable change.
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, such as the overall population growth and the contrast between Manhattan and other districts. However, the analysis is hampered by significant factual inaccuracies. For instance, you state Manhattan had a 'significant rise' in 1800 and 1900, but the data shows a steady increase until 1900 followed by a decline. Furthermore, claiming Manhattan had the 'lowest population' is incorrect, as Staten Island consistently had the lowest figures throughout the period. The summary lacks a clear focus on the most significant data points, and the misinterpretation of the figures prevents a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes confusing due to the inaccurate data reporting. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'whereas' and 'on the other hand', but they are sometimes used to connect contradictory or incorrect information. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when comparing the 'other districts' group to the total city population. While the structure is present, the logical flow is undermined by the factual errors in the content.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'significant rise', 'slight drop', and 'sharp peak'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are instances where word choice is slightly unnatural, such as 'huge gap' to describe population growth. To improve, you should aim to use more varied and precise collocations related to data trends, such as 'experienced a marginal decline' or 'witnessed substantial expansion', rather than relying on basic adjectives like 'big' or 'huge'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical issues. For example, 'it had not had a noticeable change' is awkward phrasing. There are also minor errors in tense consistency and preposition usage. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band. Focusing on more accurate verb forms and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed without errors will help improve your score in this area.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.