Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-20
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 compares the data of changes in the population of New York City between 1800 to 2000. It includes the five districts i.e.,Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx,Queens and Staten Island over the same period. It shares the data of members of societies from 1800, 1900 and 2000.
In 1800, the New York city including all the districts consist on [redacted phone]. In Manhattan district, the population of it was about 76% means 60515. By contrast in other districts, it was 18701 approximately 24%.
In 1900, the population of New York City increased upto 3.4372 million. In Manhattan, it reached to 1.85 million the percentage of it comes downward to 54%. In other districts, the population was about 1.587 million its percentage increased to 46%.
In 2000, the residents increased and reached to 8.009 million. In Manhattan, the residency of it was about 1.538 million it decreases than the last 100 years and came to 19% percentage. While in other cities of it, the population start increasing and reached to 6.471 million its percentage becomes upward to 81%.
In conclusion, the residents of New York City highlight their interests firstly toward Manhattan then they start moving to other districts of it. The other cities made a huge influence among the people to move toward it. Other cities percentage of population commence from 24% and reached to 81%.
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 student covers all parts of the task by reporting the overall population figures for New York City and comparing Manhattan with the other districts across the three given years (1800, 1900, and 2000). Key trends, such as the massive population growth and the shifting demographic balance away from Manhattan toward the outer districts, are correctly identified and supported with figures from the tables. However, there is a minor mathematical/transcription slip in the first sentence of body paragraph 2, where '792016' is mistakenly attributed to 1800 for the whole city (the actual figure is 79,216). Despite this minor numerical slip, the main features are adequately selected, compared, and reported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a clear introduction, separate body paragraphs for each time period, and a concluding overview. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas chronologically. However, cohesion at the sentence level is sometimes mechanical or faulty, with awkward transitions and referencing issues (e.g., 'the residency of it', 'other cities of it'). While there is a logical progression of ideas over time, the cohesive devices and referencing choices lack fluency, pulling the score for this criterion into the Band 5 to 6 range.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to data reporting such as 'percentage', 'increased', 'decreased', and 'district'. However, there are numerous inappropriate word choices, awkward collocations, and unnatural phrasing throughout the response, such as 'members of societies', 'consist on', 'residency of it', and referring to districts as 'cities'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical control is weak, causing occasional strain for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and contrastive statements ('While in other cities of it, the population start increasing...'). Grammatical accuracy is inconsistent, with frequent errors in prepositions ('consist on'), subject-verb agreement ('the population start increasing'), tense consistency, and awkward phrasing. Punctuation is basic. While communication is not entirely impeded, the high frequency of grammatical and structural inaccuracies prevents the score from reaching Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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