Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-16
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 initial table illustrates the changes in the total members of the population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. Similarly, the other two tables provide the data on the changes in the population of the five districts of the city i.e Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over the same period.
Overall, the total population of NewYork City reached 8 million by year 2000 which was in thousands in 1800. Similarly, The total percentage of Manhattan district alone was high in 1800 in the total population of the city which decreases over time and become lowest by year 2000. In contrast, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten's alltogether contribution was low in 1800 which rose up signifcantly in 2000.
Regarding the total population of New York City in 1800 it was about 79,216 which increased to 3,437,202 in 1900 and in 2000 it reached to 8,009,185.
In terms of district Manhattan, the data showed the rise in population and its contribution in the total population of New York City. The population was 60,515 in 1800 represented 76% shares, in 1900 1,850,093 accounting for 54% contribution and in 2000 reached to 1,538,096 representing 19% shares, showed decline in its shares in total population of the city.
Turning towards other districts, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten island represented 24% of shares in 1800 at 18,701 total community, 1,587,109 in 1900 accounting for 46% of contribution and in 2000 6,471,089 accounting for 81% shares.
To sum up, the all 4 destricts combinely reported significant increased in its contribution to the total population in 2000 while, Manhattan reported a decrease.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all key parts of the prompt, successfully reporting the main data points and comparing Manhattan with the other combined districts over the three designated years. The overview adequately highlights the dramatic growth in total population and the shifting proportional dominance from Manhattan to the other districts. Data is accurately cited from the tables, such as the total population reaching 8,009,185 in 2000 and Manhattan's percentage dropping from 76% to 19%. However, the overview contains minor expression awkwardness ('which was in thousands in 1800'), and the reporting tends to list figures rather than fully synthesizing the trends. Nevertheless, all prompt requirements are met satisfactorily, corresponding to a solid Band 6.5 or Band 7 performance, comfortably fitting the Band 6 descriptor for addressing all parts with relevant data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview paragraph, body paragraphs dedicated to specific data sets, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Regarding', 'In terms of', and 'Turning towards' are used to structure the response effectively. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or repetitive, and paragraphing can feel slightly disjointed due to the heavy reliance on transitional formulas. There are also cohesion errors in linking clauses, such as 'which showed decline in its shares'. Overall, the logical progression is clear throughout, making it easy for the reader to follow the comparison.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, incorporating terms like 'contribution', 'proportion', 'significant', and 'decline'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'total members of the population', 'Staten's alltogether contribution', and 'total community'. Spelling and word-formation slips also occur, including 'signifcantly', 'destricts', and 'combinely'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they restrict the lexical score to Band 6, as the vocabulary lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'representing 76% shares, in 1900 1,850,093 accounting for 54% contribution'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly missing prepositions, awkward verb tenses, and tense shifts (e.g., 'which decreases over time and become lowest', 'reported significant increased'). Punctuation is also occasionally faulty, leading to run-on structures. Despite these frequent errors, the meaning remains understandable, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor where simple and complex structures are mixed with some persistent errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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