Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-31
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 three tables illustrates the comparison of changes in population of different districts of different cities in the United States between 1800 and 2000.
overall, New York experienced the highest population in the year 2000 additionally other four districts recorded the lowest population in the year of 1800 and Manhattan experienced the highest in the same year whereas other four districts recorded the highest number of resident in the year 2000 while Manhattan recorded the lowest.
In new York city the population was 79,216 in the year of 1800 and it rose to 3.437,202 in Year 1900. Furthermore, in the year of 2000 it recorded the highest number citizens (8,009,185) in comparison of all the other given districts.
In Manhattan, The number of resident was 60,515 which was almost 90% of total population of New York city while, in other four districts the number of citizens was only 18,701 in the year of 1800 but it soared to 6,471,089 in the the year of 2000.
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 features of the data, such as the overall growth of New York City and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student identifies the highest and lowest points but fails to provide a more nuanced comparison of the trends over the two centuries. For instance, the specific growth rates or the turning points in the population shifts are not fully explored. Additionally, there is a factual error in the introduction where the student refers to 'different cities' instead of 'districts of one city'. While the main trends are identified, the lack of depth in data reporting limits the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'in the year of'. The transition between the general overview and the specific data points is abrupt. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the grouping of 'other four districts' is used without clearly defining which districts are being referred to. The overall structure is logical, but the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the progression feel somewhat disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'recorded the highest number citizens' and 'in comparison of all the other'. The student relies on basic verbs like 'recorded' and 'rose', which are repeated throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the presence of minor errors in word choice and collocation prevent a higher score. More precise terminology related to data description, such as 'witnessed a surge' or 'accounted for', would improve the quality.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include incorrect subject-verb agreement ('The three tables illustrates'), punctuation errors (e.g., '3.437,202' instead of '3,437,202'), and missing articles. The misuse of capitalization ('In new York city') and inconsistent tense usage also detract from the overall accuracy. While the student attempts to use complex sentences, these are often marred by errors, which limits the range of error-free structures. Greater attention to basic grammar rules and proofreading is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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