Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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 tables represent data regarding population change in New York and across its five districts between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, It is clear that Manhattan was major contributor for population in New York. In contrast, other districts combined had low percentage of total population at start. The population for Manhattan observed a decline while other districts population numbers went up.
In 1800, New York had a population of 79,216 which increased throughout this period and by 2000 this number peaked at 8,0009,185. The district that added in more numbers than others was Manhattan; Although, It had 60,515 population in 1800 this proportion had a sudden spike in 1900 and was recorded 1,850,093. While plummeted in 2000 and reached 1,538,096.the percentage of total population for this year was also low only 19%.
The remaining four districts recorded 18,701 individuals in year 1800. Furthermore this number kept rising dramatically and got up to 6,471,089 in year 2000 with 81 percentage in total population.
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, identifying the overall growth in New York's population and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the total population in 2000 is written as '8,0009,185', which is a clear typographical error. Additionally, the analysis of the 'remaining four districts' is somewhat oversimplified, as it groups them together rather than highlighting the distinct growth patterns of individual districts like Queens or Brooklyn. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in data transcription and the failure to compare the specific growth rates of the smaller districts limits the depth of the analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from an overview to specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'While' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors, such as the sentence fragment 'While plummeted in 2000 and reached 1,538,096.the percentage of total population for this year was also low only 19%.' The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the general overview and the specific data points could be smoother to improve the overall progression of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with attempts to use descriptive terms like 'plummeted', 'spiked', and 'dramatically'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'major contributor for population' instead of 'major contributor to the population' and 'added in more numbers' instead of 'experienced higher growth'. The spelling error in the final population figure is also a concern. To reach a higher band, you should focus on more precise collocations and ensure that numerical data is transcribed accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While some sentences are clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in year 1800'), incorrect verb forms ('The district that added in more numbers'), and punctuation issues (the run-on sentence starting with 'Although'). The misuse of 'Although' as a connector between two independent clauses without proper punctuation is a recurring issue. While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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