Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-01
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 represents changes in the total population of New York between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables illustrate variations in the population of the five districts Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over the same period. New York city has the population around 79,216 in 1800. In the 19th century its population increased to approximately 3.4 millions. After 1900, Its population surges to around 8 millions in the 20th century. Manhattan city alone contains the sixty thousand population in 18th centurywhich comprises 76% of total population. In 1900, Manhattan city population increased from 60,515 to approximately 1.8 millions which gives the total population of the city 54%. While in 2000, Its population decreases from 54% to 19% of the total population of the city which becomes approximately 1.53 millions. Other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island comprises 18701 population in 1800 which is 24% of total population. While in 1900, population of these districts were around 1.58 million which constitute 46% of the total city population. In 2000, population of these cities became [redacted phone] which is the 81% of total population of the New York city. Overall, In 1800, New York city population was very low which was mainly in the Manhattan district. In 2000, Its population surges to around 8 millions which was mainly in the five districts of the New York.
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 trends in the data, identifying the overall growth of New York City and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other four districts. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing the information. The summary of the 1800 data is slightly inaccurate in its phrasing (referring to the 18th century instead of the 19th). While the key features are highlighted, the comparison between the districts could be more nuanced to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a report. Cohesive devices such as 'While', 'In 1900', and 'Overall' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by repetitive sentence structures, such as starting multiple sentences with 'In [year], population of...'. The referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the total population data and the district-specific data could be smoother to improve the overall progression of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'variations', 'comprises', and 'constitute' used correctly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'Manhattan city' (Manhattan is a borough/district, not a city) and 'surges' (which should be past tense 'surged'). The range is sufficient to convey the information, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands, as the phrasing remains somewhat repetitive throughout the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses (e.g., 'Its population surges' instead of 'surged') and article usage (e.g., 'the sixty thousand population'). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, such as 'Other districts... comprises' instead of 'comprise'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the control over complex structures is limited.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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