Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-10
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 illustrates the changes in the total population of New York City during the last two centuries of 20th century, while the other two tables show changes in five districts of the city over the same period of time.
Overall, New York City's population increased over time. The percentage of Manhattan's residents reduce, whereas other districts population surged with the passage of time.
To begin with, the population of New York City was nearly eighty thousands, and it increased to nearly 8 million in the year 2000.
In addition, 76% of total population were living in Manhattan at the beginning of the period which experienced a significant decline in 1900, and then it plummeted more kept the population percentage at 19%. However, the numbers increased but the percentage of total population decreased.
On the other hand, other districts population increased in term of percentage and figures as well. The population of four districts including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island was 18,701, which was the 24% of total population, and in skyrocketed in the following century, lifting the figures to one and half million. Similarly, figures also demonstrated a dramatic increase in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response provides a clear overview of the population trends. You successfully identified the main features, such as the overall growth of NYC and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other four districts. However, the data reporting is inconsistent. For instance, you mention '18,701' as the population of four districts in 1800, but the table shows this figure for 1850. Additionally, the description of the population figures for the four districts in 2000 is vague ('one and half million'), which does not accurately reflect the data provided in the table. More precise data extraction is required to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the connection between the figures and the years is somewhat confusing. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the flow between sentences could be improved by varying the structure of your cohesive links.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surged', 'plummeted', and 'skyrocketed' to describe trends. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'reduce' instead of 'reduced' or 'declined', and 'in term of percentage' which should be 'in terms of percentage'. Some phrasing is also slightly awkward, such as 'the other two tables show changes in five districts'. Expanding your range of academic collocations would help improve the precision of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the other two tables show changes in five districts' (missing 'the'), 'nearly eighty thousands' (should be 'thousand'), and '76% of total population were living' (should be 'the total population was'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are areas that need attention. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the main points of your report.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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