Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-04
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 different tables given illustrates different information about the population of the country in different centuries and of different districts of 5 cities.
Overall, the population of New York city shown a drastic expansion throughout the years or centuries. The Manhattan city contributed the highest population of New York city in 19th century of 76%, while all remaining cities Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island reported a highest percent of population growth of 81% from early 21st century.
The total population of New York when including all the five districts had seen a major population growth in year 2000 of 8,009,185. The population downfall or depletion of Manhattan district started in early 20th century from 76% to 19%.
The other districts reported a high and unbelievable growth since year 1900. In year 1800 the population was 24% that is 18,701, whereas in the year 2000 the population increased to 81% which is of 6,471,089.
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 population growth and the shift in distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student refers to '5 cities' instead of '5 districts' or 'boroughs', which is a factual inaccuracy regarding the task. Furthermore, the description of the data is occasionally confusing, such as the claim that the other districts reported a 'highest percent of population growth of 81% from early 21st century', which misinterprets the table's timeline. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting figures and the mislabeling of the districts limit the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and some unclear referencing. For example, the transition between the general population growth and the specific district data is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes mechanical or misused, such as 'The other districts reported a high and unbelievable growth'. The use of 'The different tables given' at the start is a bit repetitive and lacks sophistication. Better use of linking words would improve the flow between sentences and paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are instances of word-choice errors, such as 'depletion' to describe population decline and 'unbelievable' which is too informal and subjective for an academic report. The student relies on basic descriptors like 'major population growth' and 'drastic expansion'. To improve, the student should use more precise academic collocations related to data reporting, such as 'significant increase', 'dramatic decline', or 'accounted for'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The different tables given illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error), 'population of New York city shown' (incorrect tense), and 'which is of 6,471,089' (awkward preposition usage). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to verb tenses and subject-verb agreement is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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