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)

In 1800, the population of New York City was 79,216. In 1900, the population of New York City was 3,437,202 and in 2000 the population drastically increased to 8,009,185. We will break down this population into its five districts. In 1800, the disctrict Manhattan contritubed to the total of 76% population. In 1900, it made the 54% popultion of New York and in 2000 it only contributed to 19% which was quite low if we compare it to 1800 statistics. Other disctricts of New York including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and, Staten Island only contributed 24% of population in 1800 in comparison to Manhattan district which was 74%. In 1900 it was 46% and in 2000 these districts made drastic changes and the population increased to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response covers the main data points presented in the tables, such as the overall population growth of New York City and the shifting percentages between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the candidate fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, coming in at 126 words. This results in a penalty under Task Achievement. Furthermore, there is a minor contradiction in the text where the student writes 'in comparison to Manhattan district which was 74%' when the table shows it was 76% in 1800, and a meta-commentary sentence ('We will break down this population') detracts from an academic tone. To achieve a higher band, the response must meet the length requirement and expand further on the trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a basic logical progression from the total population figures to the district breakdown. However, the use of a conversational meta-statement ('We will break down this population into its five districts') disrupts the expected academic tone and organisational flow. Paragraphing is weak, as the entire response is clumped into a single block of text rather than being separated into an introduction/overview and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are minimal and repetitive, relying on simple chronological markers like 'In 1800', 'In 1900', and 'In 2000'. Overall organisation is present, but cohesion is mechanical and basic.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic description of the data, featuring words like 'population', 'districts', and 'percentage'. There are noticeable spelling errors, such as 'disctrict' and 'contritubed', along with imprecise word choices like 'made the 54% popultion' instead of 'accounted for 54% of the population'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, with limited use of less common lexical items or synonyms to describe statistical trends (e.g., repeating 'contributed' and 'population').

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as past tense descriptive sentences ('In 1800, the population of New York City was 79,216') and relative clauses ('which was quite low if we compare it'). Grammatical control is fairly good in simpler sentences, but errors appear in more complex formulations, such as awkward phrasing ('made drastic changes and the population increased'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors exist, they do not severely impede overall communication.

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