Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-22
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 first table presents the total number of inhabitants in New York City over the period from 1800 to 2000 and the second and third table shows the total residents and its percentage of total residents in Manhattan and other districts respectively over that period of time.
Overall, in New York City, the population has increased over the period. The number of population of districts of New York City has increased over 2000 years except in Manhattan.
The total population of New York City including all five districts in 1800 was 79,216, which further went up to 3,437,202 in 1900. After 100 years, in 2000, the population rose up to 8,[redacted phone].
In Manhattan city, 60,515 individuals were living in 1800 year, that was 76% of total population, whereas 18,701 individuals living in other districts which is 24% of total population. In 1900, both in Manhattan and other district's population had increased ,respectively, to 1,850,093 and 1,587,109 which is 54% and 46%. In Manhattan, the population decreased to 1,538,096 at 19% of total population ,but in other districts the population had increased to 81% of total population which is 6,471,089
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all parts of the visual data by reporting the total population of New York City and comparing Manhattan with the other districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. An overview is provided at the beginning, noting the general upward trend in population growth alongside the exception of Manhattan's proportional decline. Key figures are accurately selected and cited from the tables, such as the total population figures and percentage shifts. However, some minor data points could be integrated more smoothly, but overall, the response satisfies the requirements of Task 1 well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction and overview to specific body paragraphs detailing the total population and district breakdowns. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'whereas', and 'In 1900'. However, some cohesive links and referencing are a bit mechanical or repetitive, and paragraphing could be structured more cleanly to separate the overall city trends from the specific district comparisons. Nevertheless, a clear progression of information is maintained throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing statistical data, including terms like 'inhabitants', 'residents', 'percentage', and 'proportions'. Some less common items and phrasing are attempted, such as 'proportional decline' or describing demographic shifts, but there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'The number of population of districts' and 'In Manhattan city'. Spelling is generally correct, but word choice errors occasionally restrict precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures like 'which further went up to' and 'whereas 18,701 individuals living in other districts'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors regarding verb forms and missing auxiliary verbs, such as 'individuals living' instead of 'individuals lived' and 'table shows' instead of 'tables show'. Punctuation errors, such as comma splices and misplaced commas, also occur, though these issues rarely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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