Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-13
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 given tables illustrate changes in New York City population from 1800 to 2000. The tables also show distribution of population between Manhattan and four other districts (Brooklyn,Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens, and Staten Island) of an American city.
Overall. New York population rose dramatically over the given period ,while Manhattan had a significant share at the start of period but saw a continuous decline.On the other hand ,other districts became dominant at the end of the period.
In 1800, total population of the New York was 79,216 and Manhattan was having 76% of the total share with 60,515 residents. In contrast, other four districts accounted for 24%of the total population and had 18,701 residents.
Over the next two centuries, New York population increased dramatically with 3,437,707 to 8,009,185 respectively. However, Manhattan population share saw a considerable decrease with 19% of the total population in 2000. Manhattan population decreased from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096 during the last two decades.On the other hand, other four districts saw a gradual increase from 46% to 81% of the total share. In 2000 other districts had 6,471,087 residents.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of New York City's total population change alongside the data for Manhattan and the other four districts from 1800 to 2000. Key trends are highlighted, such as the overall dramatic population growth and the shifting distribution from Manhattan to the other boroughs. However, there are minor inaccuracies in interpreting the data; for instance, the writer states 'increased dramatically with 3,437,707 to 8,009,185 respectively', which confuses the timeline and figures slightly. Despite minor flaws in data referencing, the main features are adequately selected, giving a clear comparative overview that fulfills the requirements of Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression and is appropriately organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'Over the next two centuries', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical, seen in repetitive sentence openings and minor mechanical punctuation issues (e.g., 'Overall. New York population' with a stray period, and the duplicated 'Brooklyn,Brooklyn'). Paragraphing is functional, and the logical organization supports the delivery of information effectively, warranting a solid Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'distribution', 'dramatic', 'continuous decline', 'dominant', and 'considerable decrease'. There are, however, some lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'Manhattan was having 76% of the total share' instead of 'accounted for 76% of the total population'. Repetition of basic structures also occurs, such as 'other four districts' appearing multiple times. Spelling is generally accurate, but typographical errors like 'Brooklyn,Brooklyn' detract from the lexical control. The vocabulary is minimally sufficient to convey the intended meaning, matching the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures through the use of subordinate clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions throughout the text, including missing articles ('total population of the New York', 'at start of period'), incorrect prepositions ('with 3,437,707 to 8,009,185'), and tense/aspect confusion ('was having'). Punctuation slips are also present, such as missing spaces after commas ('districts ,Brooklyn'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede overall communication, allowing the essay to secure a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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