Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29
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)
In New York City about the population of all five districts is bring the major change every year. Since in 1800 the growth of population of all five districts of New york city was 79,216. Then in 1900 it will increase and reached out about the 3,437,202 and later in 2000 it will increased about 8,009,185. It means in comming years or day by day the population of all districts of New York City increase repidly.
Now lets dicsscuss about the population of Manhattan district. So in 1800 the population of this district was 60,515 about 76% of total population. But in 1900 it becomes 1,850,093 round about 54% of total population. By the 2000 the population of Manhattan was reduce about 1,538,096 and its percentage is 19%. It means the population was reduce.
Like wise others population of districts of New York like Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and Staten Island the population in 1800 was 18,701 and the percentage is 24% , 1900 population was 1,587,109 about 46% and in 2000 6,471,089 about 81%. In short the Manhattan district population was slow growing than other districts
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the shifting proportions of Manhattan versus the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The data for the other four districts is grouped together, which obscures the individual trends of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the districts lacks the necessary detail to reach a higher band. The overview is also weak, as it does not clearly synthesize the most significant trends across the two-century period, focusing instead on listing figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is appropriate. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'It means...'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when grouping the four districts together as 'others population of districts'. While the logical flow is generally easy to follow, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the somewhat disjointed transition between the general population and the specific district data prevent a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'bring the major change', 'reached out about', and 'slow growing than'. The student relies heavily on basic descriptors and struggles with accurate collocations. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors in word choice are noticeable throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb tense consistency (e.g., 'it will increase', 'it will increased') and sentence structure. There is a lack of control over complex sentence forms, and many sentences are simple or contain errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to cause difficulty for the reader and indicate a lack of control over a wide range of structures.
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.