Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-15
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 table illustrates the diffrences in total population in New York City from the year 1800 to 2000. However, other tables discribe changes in population of diffrent five districts of the City which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island over same period. The data is in numbers and in percetage.
Overall, it is visible that the population of all five district was gredually increased throughout the time period.Whether, in same time period the population in five district the population was also rose.
A glnce at the first table reveals that the population in New York City was 79,216 in the year 1800 which became more then four times as much after a century and in the year 2000 the population was at 8,009,185.Whereas, in Manhattan the population was 60,515 in the year 1800 which was 76% it decrease to 54% in the year 1900 at that time the population was 1,850,093. In the year 2000 the population was at 1,538,096 but the percetage of total population was fell and reached at 19.
Furhter analysis of the tables reflects that in other four districts the population was 24% nearly arround 18,701 in the year 1800 which spiked up to 46% in the year 1900 in numbers the population was 1,587,109 and in the year 2000 the population shot up to 6,471,089 as percentage of total population was 81%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both tables, noting the total population growth of New York City and breaking down the changes between Manhattan and the other districts over the three selected years (1800, 1900, and 2000). Key figures and percentages are accurately cited, such as Manhattan's drop from 76% to 19% and the rise in other districts to 81%. However, the overview paragraph contains confusing phrasing and minor tautologies ('the population in five district the population was also rose'), which slightly hampers the clarity of the overall trends. Despite these minor issues, the key data points are appropriately covered, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is arranged into a logical four-paragraph structure, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific data. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'A glance at the first table', 'Whereas', and 'Further analysis of the tables'. However, paragraphing and sentence boundaries occasionally feel mechanical or awkward, and some referencing is slightly clunky (e.g., 'Whether, in same time period the population in five district the population was also rose'). Overall progression is maintained, but cohesion suffers from repetitive structures and minor connective errors, placing this response securely at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'spike up', 'shot up', and 'percentage of total population'. However, there are numerous spelling errors ('diffrences', 'discribe', 'diffrent', 'percetage', 'gredually', 'glnce', 'arround') and awkward word choices ('became more then four times as much'). These lexical inaccuracies and spelling mistakes occasionally detract from the reading experience, though they do not completely impede communication. This performance aligns with the descriptors for Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and contrasting conjunctions ('Whereas', 'although'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with several persistent errors in punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and clause structure (e.g., 'it decrease to 54%', 'the percetage of total population was fell and reached at 19', and incomplete or fused sentences in the overview). Because errors are frequent enough to cause noticeable distraction and difficulty for the reader, the grammar performance is best placed at a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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