Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-29
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 tables illustrate information about changes in the total population of New York City and changes in the population of the five districts of the city Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island between 1800 to 2000.
Overall it is clear that total population of New York City and other district such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island increased considerably over the same period of time , whereas the population growth of Manhattan showed a continuos decline.
Looking first at New York City total population stood at 79216 in 1800.It rose to [redacted phone] in 1900 before finally reaching [redacted phone] by the year 2000.Turning to the four districts Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island the total population was just 24 percent about 18701 in 1800.It showed a significant rise to 46 percent about [redacted phone] by the year 1900 before finally doubling to 81 percent about [redacted phone] in 2000.
Turning to Manhattan the population was 60515 about 76%
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 covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the total population and the five districts over the three given years. An overview is successfully presented in the second paragraph, highlighting the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. Key data points such as the 1800, 1900, and 2000 population and percentage figures are included. However, the response trails off abruptly at the end ('Turning to Manhattan the population was 60515 about 76%'), leaving the 1900 and 2000 Manhattan data incomplete and missing comparisons for the final period. This represents an omission in fully developing the data presentation, capping the score at Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is organised logically into paragraphs, moving from an introduction and overview into body paragraphs detailing specific data. Cohesive devices such as 'Looking first at', 'Turning to', and 'before finally reaching' are utilised to structure the response. However, paragraphing and overall cohesion are disrupted by the abrupt, unfinished final sentence. Referencing is generally clear, but the mechanical nature of the transitional phrases prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Overall, the arrangement is coherent enough to earn a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, featuring appropriate terms such as 'population', 'districts', 'considerable', and 'decline'. The student attempts some less common phrasing like 'continuous decline' and 'significant rise'. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as omitting prepositions or incorrect word forms ('continuos'), and the vocabulary range remains somewhat repetitive due to the incomplete ending. These factors place the lexical resource firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing time clauses and relative structures (e.g., 'It rose to 3437202 in 1900 before finally reaching 8009185'). There are some grammatical errors, notably missing punctuation (e.g., missing commas in numbers or after introductory phrases), spacing issues around punctuation, and a spelling mistake ('continuos'). Despite these flaws, communication is not impeded, and the control over basic structures is adequate for a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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