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 table provides data on the overall change in the population of the New York city, while the others illustrate the changes across the five districts of the city from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the New York city accounted for the highest population over the period. The figure for the Manthan constituted the higher percentage in the total population of the city over two centuries, while the Brooklyn, Bronx, Queen and Staten Island shared the significant figures by the end of the period.
Looking at the tables in more detail, The population of the New York City increased steadily from 79,216 in 1800, 3,3437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 in 2000. Although the Manhattan constituted for 76% of the total change with 60,515 population in 1800, decreased gradually to 54% in 1900 and decline sharply to 19% in 2000.
In contrast, the other districts present the surge in the change in population from the Manhattan district. The figure is 24% in 1800, grew to 46% in 1900, and dramatically rise up to 81% along with 6,471,089 population in 2000. A notable variation is shown between the Manhattan and the other districts in 2000.
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 student successfully addresses the main features of the prompt by reporting data on overall population growth and comparing Manhattan with the other districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. An overview is present, noting the general trends. However, there are a few inaccuracies in data transcription and reporting; for instance, the population for 1900 in the detailed text is written as '3,3437,202', which contains a typo, and the phrasing 'the New York city accounted for the highest population' is slightly confused since there are no other cities to compare it with. Despite minor flaws in data precision and expression, all parts of the visual information are covered adequately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is structured into clear paragraphs with an introduction, an overview, and body details. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the tables in more detail', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty; for instance, 'while the others illustrate' lacks a clear antecedent, and logical progression between sentences is sometimes disrupted by awkward phrasing. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but overall coherence could be smoother.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for task 1, including terms like 'proportion', 'surge', 'dramatically', and 'variation'. However, there are notable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'Manthan' instead of Manhattan, 'Queen' instead of Queens, and awkward collocations like 'shared the significant figures'. Furthermore, the word 'constituted' is misused grammatically in places (e.g., 'constituted for'). The vocabulary is adequate for the task but limited by inaccuracies.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as concessive clauses using 'Although'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors including missing prepositions, incorrect verb forms ('decline sharply' instead of declined), and faulty clause structures (e.g., 'the other districts present the surge in the change in population from the Manhattan district'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor errors in grammar reduce the overall control.
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