Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12
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 total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000 has shown in the first table. One of the table below illustrate population decline in Manhattan while another table show growth of other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) of New York City.
Overall, the New York has experienced a rapid growth in population over two centuries. New York's four disctricts have shown a substantial population growth in similar time period. On the other hand a decline in population can be seen in Manhattan.
The New York's population was 79,216 initially in 1800 with 76% of residents residing in Manhattan and only 24% were in all other four districts combined. Till 1900, there was a abrupt increase in New York and total number reached to 3,437,202. In 1900, a balance can be seen between Manhattan and other 4 districts with 54% and 46% respectively.
2000 is the time period where precentage of population flip completely. Only 19% were remained in Manhattan. On the other hand other four districts had 81%.
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 tables well by identifying the overall population growth of New York City and contrasting the decline in Manhattan with the growth in the other four districts. Key data points, such as the initial population in 1800, the total in 1900, and the percentage shifts over time, are successfully cited and compared. However, the analysis could be more thoroughly extended by incorporating more specific figures for individual districts over the full two-century span, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, and a clear overview is provided, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing chronological data. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition "Till 1900, there was a abrupt increase" and the repetitive use of "On the other hand" demonstrate mechanical referencing and less flexible use of cohesive devices. Paragraphing is attempted, though some paragraphs are very brief, resembling single sentences. Progression is generally understandable as it moves from 1800 to 2000, but the logical flow between sentences occasionally stumbles due to awkward phrasing. Overall, this performance fits the Band 6 criteria.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic trends such as "population decline", "substantial population growth", and "percentage of population flip completely". However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as "has shown in the first table" (passive voice error), "a abrupt increase" (incorrect article usage), and spelling/typographical errors like "disctricts" and "precentage". Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and the range remains somewhat narrow and repetitive. These errors do not seriously impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 5.5, which rounds to 6.0 for a balanced profile or 5.5 based on strict frequency.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and comparative statements. However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text. Examples include tense and voice errors ("has shown in the first table", "One of the table below illustrate"), missing articles ("the New York"), and prepositional misuse ("residents residing in Manhattan"). While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they occur regularly and restrict the frequency of error-free sentences. The control over punctuation and basic agreement is inconsistent. These features correspond closely to the Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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