Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24
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 given tables gives the population data of overall New York City and its five districts in 1800,1900 and 2000.
Overall tables shows that one of district of New York City which is Manhattan population percentage with respect to other four districs decrease from 1800 to 2000 and other four district there overall number of population percentage rapidly increased.
As in first table overall New York City population in year 1800 was 79216 and in 2000 there population increase and become [redacted phone].
While in secoond table give a statistical data of population of district Manhattan that they contribute 76 percent population in New York City in 1800 and it gradually decrease with time and come to 19 percent of overal city population.
As other four districts include Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten Island was very les in population as compare to Manhattan distric in 1800 but with passage of time there rate of population increse and comes on 81 percent in 2000 which was on only 24 percent in 1800.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the overall population figures and comparing Manhattan with the other four districts across the three given years (1800, 1900, and 2000). A clear overview is attempted at the beginning, noting the contrasting trends between Manhattan's decreasing percentage and the growth in the other districts. However, some of the data reporting is slightly vague or imprecise, such as stating 'there overall number of population percentage rapidly increased'. Key features are selected and compared, meeting the basic requirements of an academic report, though further development and precision in handling the statistical data would elevate the response to a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organised into a series of short paragraphs, starting with an introductory sentence and attempting an overview. Progression is discernible as the student moves from the total population to Manhattan and then the remaining districts. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with many sentences running together or forming very abrupt, single-sentence paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often repetitive or basic (e.g., 'As in first table', 'While in secoond table', 'As other four districts'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall flow is occasionally mechanical rather than smoothly progressive.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic trends and figures (e.g., 'population data', 'percentage', 'gradually decrease'). However, there are frequent lexical errors, inappropriate word choices, and spelling mistakes throughout the text (e.g., 'gives' instead of 'give', 'districs' instead of 'districts', 'secoond' instead of 'second', 'overal' instead of 'overall', 'increse' instead of 'increase'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and spelling inaccuracies occasionally cause strain for the reader, placing this response firmly in Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. There are numerous grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The given tables gives', 'there population increase'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('come to 19 percent'). Punctuation is also problematic, particularly with missing commas and run-on structures. While communication is generally maintained despite these errors, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies prevents the response from achieving a Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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