Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-19
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 below illustrates the population growth of New York City as well as the major five districts of the country from the year 1800 to 2000.
In the beginning,New York City had a total population of 79,216 in the year 1800 and over the next century it grew rapidly and went from 79,216 to 3,437,202 which is a really big jump and in the year 2000 it reached a total of 8,009,185. As for Manhattan, It had a total of 60,515 individuals which rose upto 1,850,093 in the year 1900 but later over the next century it saw a relatively small decline in the numbers and went from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096 in the year 2000.
Apart from Manhattan and New York City, Other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island had a combined total of 18,701 in the year 1800 which significantly rose over the next century and went to 1,587,109.The thing which surprised me the most was that in the year 2000 the total population of these districts reached a massive number of 6,471,089 which is is nearly 5 times the number recorded in the last century.
These districts saw a more population growth than both Manhattan and New York City even though they were major cities at the time and are still widely considered as the major hubs of the country. The most shocking thing was the reduction in population of Manhattan going from 1.8 million to 1.5 million in the period of a 100 years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population growth and the figures for Manhattan versus the other districts. Data from the tables is accurately cited, such as the total population reaching 8,009,185 in 2000 and Manhattan's population declining from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096. However, the student includes personal commentary and subjective evaluations ('The thing which surprised me the most', 'The most shocking thing'), which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 response where an objective tone is required. Furthermore, the phrasing 'countries' or 'major cities' at the end lacks precise context. Nevertheless, the key data trends are successfully identified, earning a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, providing a logical progression from the overall population to Manhattan and then to the remaining districts. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. There are run-on sentences and comma splices, such as 'As for Manhattan, It had a total of...' and '...went from 79,216 to 3,437,202 which is a really big jump and in the year 2000...'. Additionally, referencing and transitional phrases between paragraphs could be smoother. Paragraphing is attempted adequately, but the overall mechanical cohesion and lack of sophisticated referencing limit the score to a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to data trends such as 'population growth', 'rose', 'decline', and 'combined total'. However, the vocabulary is often informal or imprecise, relying on phrases like 'really big jump', 'massive number', and 'the most shocking thing', which lowers the academic register. There is also a repetition of simple structures and word choices. While communication is not impeded, the lack of more sophisticated or precise lexical items prevents the response from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over complex structures is inconsistent. There are frequent punctuation errors, particularly run-on sentences linked by conjunctions without proper punctuation (e.g., 'In the beginning,New York City...'). Other minor mechanical errors occur, such as spacing after commas ('beginning,New') and repeated words ('which is is'). While there are error-free sentences, grammatical inaccuracies in complex clauses and punctuation issues prevent a higher score, justifying a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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