Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-23
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 three tables illustrates, the chnages in total pouplation of new york city in 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables demonstrates the population of five regions ( Manhatten,Brooklyn, bronx, Queens, State Island) over the silmilar period.
Overall, the population of New York City and other five districts increased over the time.In addition the significant change of population seen in the year 2000 for all five cities.
In the year 1800 the population of New york was 79,216 which rose by 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 in the following year 1900 and 2000 respectively. The trend line of Manhatten city showed an upward trend, in 1800 it was about 60,515 which climbed up by 1,850,093 which was about 54% of total population which further inclined by 1,538,096 but its percentage of total population fell rapidly by 19% in 2000.
While the other districts changes in population also contributed to the total population of New York city. In 1800 it was at the least which were about 18,701 accounted for 24% for total population. After that it increased significantly and reached 1,587,109 in population and it still rose by 6,471,089 which contributed to a big share for the total population of 81%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the data well, including overall population growth and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. The student correctly identifies the start and end values for total population and provides specific percentages and figures for Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are some minor misinterpretations in phrasing, such as stating that the population 'rose by 3,437,202' rather than reaching that figure, and referring to districts as 'cities'. Despite these minor issues, all parts of the visual data are addressed, and a clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text is organised into four paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then two body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'In the year 1800', and 'While' are used to connect ideas, although referencing is sometimes unclear (e.g., 'In 1800 it was at the least' lacks a clear antecedent for 'it'). Paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, and the overall progression of information is coherent, resulting in a Band 6.0 score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'proportion', 'upward trend', and 'contributed'. However, there are several noticeable spelling errors (e.g., 'illustrates, the chnages', 'pouplation', 'Manhatten', 'State Island', 'silmilar') and inaccurate word forms or choices (e.g., 'climbed up by 1,850,093' instead of reaching that amount). These lexical errors and frequent spelling mistakes restrict the score to Band 5.0, as they occasionally cause difficulty or distraction for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and time-based prepositional phrases. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and preposition usage (e.g., 'The three tables illustrates', 'population of New york', 'fell rapidly by 19% in 2000' where 'to' is expected). Run-on sentences and comma splices also appear, such as in the opening sentence. Because errors are frequent and occasionally obscure the precise meaning of the comparisons, a Band 5.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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