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 intial table illustrated that how the population of New York city changed from 1800 to 2000, while other tables showed how the population of the different five districts changed over the same operiod.
Overall, the population of all the five districts sigificantly increased over the period.The manhattan occupied the largest percentage of the total population at starting and reduced over end of the period. While individuals and pertcentage of other four districts gradually increased over the end of the periods.
The Manhattan had 60,515 poulation in 1800 with a 76% which ends at a 19% in 2000, while number of individuals increased till 1,538,096 in 2000. The all other four districts had lower individuals at start which was 18,701 in 1800 with a 24% of total population. The number of population increased to 6,471,089 till 2000 and percentage gradullay increased to 81%. However, the Manhattan and other four districts showed a minor flucations in 1900.The Manhattan had 1,850,093 population in 1900 with a 54%, while other districts had 1,587,109 members with a 46% in 1900.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| 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 upward trend in population and highlighting the shifting proportions of Manhattan versus the other four districts. Key data points, such as the initial and final figures for Manhattan and the collective totals, are selected and reported. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic, and the writing tends to bunch numbers together rather than fully developing the comparisons. There are also minor mechanical calculation issues regarding the combined district figures. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, supporting a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement divided into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the entire body of data crammed into a single block. Cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or faulty, such as 'The all other four districts' and repetitive referencing like 'at starting and reduced over end of the period'. Progression is sometimes hindered by abrupt shifts between percentages and raw numbers. These organizational and cohesive flaws place the performance securely at Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for a task 1 response, including terms like 'percentage', 'population', and 'individuals'. However, there are numerous word choice and collocation errors, such as 'The intial table illustrated that how', 'sigificantly', 'at starting and reduced over end', and 'minor flucations'. Spelling errors like 'intial', 'sigificantly', 'pertcentage', 'poulation', and 'gradullay' are noticeable and cause some minor distraction. This lexical control reflects a solid Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and comparative structures. However, grammatical accuracy is weak due to frequent errors, including missing articles ('The manhattan occupied', 'The Manhattan had'), incorrect prepositions ('at start' instead of 'at the start'), and tense inconsistencies ('illustrated', 'showed' mixed with present descriptions). These errors occur frequently throughout the text, though they rarely impede overall communication, leading to a Band 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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