Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-25
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 the total population of the New York all five districts in 1800, 1900 and 2000. The other two tables depicts the percentages of total population in Manhattan and other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) in three decades.
Overall, it is evident that New York's population grew significantly. The Manhattan experienced the most growth in early years , while others in the later years.
By 1800, the percentage of population in Manhattan was 60,515, which was the 76% of the total population of the New York and only 18,701 was in other districts.
In the next century, the Manhattan birth rate was almost nearly same in comparison to the other districts , which was 54% and 46% respectively.
In 2000, other districts were more populated than the Manhattan in the same year, which were accounted for 81%. By comparison, the population growth rate of Manhattan declined substantially of around 35% from previous century. Additionally, the other districts' population was grew considerably to 81%% from 19% and showed overall growth of 62% from 1900.
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
The response covers the main features of the data, such as the overall growth and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, the student confuses raw population numbers with percentages (e.g., stating 60,515 was 76% of the total, when the table shows 60,515 was the population of Manhattan, not the percentage). Furthermore, the claim that Manhattan's birth rate was 'almost nearly same' is a misinterpretation of the data provided. The response would benefit from a more careful analysis of the figures to ensure the summary is factually accurate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'By 1800', and 'In the next century', which help guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and referencing errors, such as the unclear use of 'others' in the overview. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the mechanical nature of some transitions and the lack of clarity in linking the data points prevent a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors. Phrases like 'Manhattan birth rate' (when referring to population) and 'population was grew' demonstrate a lack of control over academic vocabulary. There are also minor errors in word formation, such as '81%%'. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'demographic', or 'trend', and ensure that vocabulary is used in the correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The Manhattan experienced the most growth' (incorrect article usage), 'population was grew' (incorrect verb tense/passive voice construction), and 'which were accounted for 81%' (incorrect passive voice). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors limits the score to a 5.5.
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.