Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14
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 compare changes in the number of people living in New York and differences across five districts from 1800 to 2000. The total population of New York increased significantly over the decades. Another interesting fact is that the proportion of Manhattan's population decreased dramatically over time compared to other cities.
The first table shows the rapid growth of the population in New York city from 1800 to 2000. The number of people increased significantly from 3,437, 202 to 8,009,185, more than 4 million over 100 years. The second table shows that the population of Manhattan district 76% in 1800, which was the largest proportion of the total population. However, this statistic decreased over time and fall to 19% in 2000. On the contrary, the third table demonstrates the notable increases in the population of the other four districts. The number of people living in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island was small in 1800. Nevertheless, this proportion rose rapidly from 24% 81% and ruled the total population in 2000.
Overall, the population of New York City increased rapidly over time.
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 student successfully covers all parts of the task by summarising the main features of the population changes in New York City and its five districts from 1800 to 2000. Key information, such as the initial and final total populations and the shifting proportions of Manhattan versus the other four districts, is accurately reported with relevant comparisons made. While some numerical data contains inaccuracies based on the prompt's ground truth (such as stating the 1800 population as 3,437,202 instead of the actual table figures, and misquoting percentages), the overall response clearly addresses the prompt and identifies major trends. This performance aligns well with Band 6.0 descriptors for Task Achievement, as it addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear overview.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing specific tables, and a concluding sentence. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sets of data. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'On the contrary', and 'Nevertheless' are employed to guide the reader through comparisons. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly flawed, notably in the transition between sentences describing proportions and percentages where grammatical links are missing (e.g., 'the population of Manhattan district 76% in 1800'). Overall progression is discernible, satisfying the criteria for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'proportion', 'dramatically', 'notable increases', and 'rapid growth'. There are, however, noticeable word choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher band, such as 'compared to other cities' (referring to districts) and 'ruled the total population' instead of 'dominated' or 'accounted for the majority'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary is minimally sufficient to convey the intended meaning, earning a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. Examples include 'The tables compare changes in...' and 'While the number of people living in...'. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors, such as missing verbs ('was Manhattan district 76%'), missing prepositions or auxiliary verbs ('fall to 19%'), and incomplete grammatical structures ('from 24% 81%'). These errors occasionally disrupt the flow of reading, but they do not severely impede overall communication, placing the response firmly at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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