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 provides data on the population of New York City from 1800 to 1900 and 2000. The other two tables illustrate the population in Manhattan and all other four districts.
Overall, the population was lower in 1800 but showed a dramatic increase in 2000. Meanwhile, people in Manhattan and other districts told about changes from 1800 to 2000.
In the year 1800 the population overall in New York City was about 79,216. Moreover, in Manhattan there was a population of 76% in numbers 60,515. the other four districts had only 24% population .
However, there was a slight increase in residents in New York City in 1900 which was 3,437,202 and other four districts also grew to 24%. But, Manhattan fell to 54% it includes 1,850,096 people.
The population in New York City surged to 8,009,185 and the changes in other districts ( Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) doubled to almost 81% in 2000. Only Manhattan plummeted to 19% of population 1,538,096
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers the main parts of the task by reporting data for New York City, Manhattan, and the other districts across the three given years (1800, 1900, and 2000). Key trends are identified, such as the dramatic overall population increase and the shift in demographic proportions between Manhattan and the other four districts. However, there are some inaccuracies and awkward phrasings in how the data is reported; for example, stating that 'other four districts also grew to 24%' in 1900 is incorrect (they grew to 46%), and the population figure for Manhattan in 1900 is cited as 1,850,096 instead of the given 1,850,093 (a very minor slip, but compounded by other misstatements). The overview is rather basic ('the population was lower in 1800 but showed a dramatic increase in 2000'). Nonetheless, all parts of the visual data are touched upon and comparisons are attempted.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a basic structure with an introductory paragraph, an overview, and body paragraphs reporting the data chronologically. However, paragraphing and logical progression are somewhat weak. The second sentence of the overview ('Meanwhile, people in Manhattan and other districts told about changes from 1800 to 2000') is confusing and reads awkwardly. Cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Moreover', 'However'), but referencing and transitions between sentences can feel mechanical or abrupt. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks cohesive flow, resulting in an overall arrangement that is coherent only at a basic level.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate numerical terms and geographical names. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'dramatic increase', 'surged', and 'plummeted'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'people in Manhattan and other districts told about changes' (misuse of 'told') and awkward framing of percentages. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical range lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands, reflecting frequent minor lapses in appropriateness.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory prepositional phrases ('In the year 1800', 'In the population in New York City...'). There are, however, frequent grammatical errors and punctuation lapses, such as missing periods or commas ('60,515. the other four districts', '54% it includes 1,850,096 people'), and awkward syntactic arrangements ('in numbers 60,515', 'population of 76% in numbers'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they recur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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