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 the other four boroughs.
Overall, the population was lower in 1800 but showed a dramatic increase in 2000. Meanwhile, people in Manhattan and other boroughs showed 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 boroughs 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 boroughs ( Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) doubled to almost 81% in 2000. Only Manhattan plummeted to 19% of the 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 | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features from the three tables, including overall population growth from 1800 to 2000 and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other four boroughs. The overview captures the primary trends accurately, noting the dramatic rise in overall population and the redistribution of residents. Key data points are cited, such as the initial 1800 population of 79,216 and the 2000 figures. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings regarding percentages and numbers, such as stating 'a population of 76% in numbers 60,515' and incorrectly claiming the other four districts grew to 24% in 1900 when the data shows they grew to 46%. Despite these minor data interpretation slips, the main features and comparisons are generally well covered, placing the response at Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the specific time periods. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'In the year 1800', and 'However', which help guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the body details. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the awkward sentence 'Meanwhile, people in Manhattan and other boroughs showed about changes from 1800 to 2000.' Additionally, transitions between sentences can feel abrupt. These minor cohesion faults and awkward transitions fit the Band 6.0 descriptor, where the overall arrangement is coherent despite mechanical elements.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, including terms like 'population', 'districts', 'boroughs', 'residents', 'surge', and 'plummet'. However, word choice and collocation are sometimes imprecise or unnatural, such as 'people in... showed about changes', 'the population overall in New York City was about 79,216' (where 'about' is unnecessary given the exact figure), and 'in numbers 60,515'. There are also minor numerical reporting errors that reflect lexical or communicative strain. Because the vocabulary is sufficient for the task and attempts less common terms with some inaccuracy that does not impede overall communication, the response aligns with Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases ('In the year 1800', 'In the population in New York City'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, such as missing articles, awkward clause structures ('it includes 1,850,096 people' spliced without conjunction or punctuation), and inconsistent spacing. For example, '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%' lacks necessary commas and precision. Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication, and the sentence structures show adequate variety, supporting a Band 6.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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