Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30
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 table compares the change in total population in five different districts of new york city and new York between the year 1800 and 2000.
Overall, it is clear that new york population increased significantly over the period of years and on the other hand population of manhattan has been decreased.
The population of new york city has shown a sharp increase as in 1800, 79,216 citizens were living in new york city which then become 3,437,202 in 1900 and by the year 2000, 8,009,185 individual’s are living in the new york city. Manhattan district shown a continuous decrease in population as 60,515 that is 76% of total population is living in manhattan in the year 1800 and by the year 2000 only 1,538,096 people are living in manhattan that is 19% of total new yorkers population.
On the other hand, the other districts such as brooklyn, bronx, queens and staten island shown an sharp climbing of population as in the year 2000, 81% of total new york population were reciding in these 4 district only.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully covers the main features of the tables, including the overall population growth of New York City and the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other four districts. Key data points such as the 1800, 1900, and 2000 figures and percentages are correctly reported. An overview is present in the second paragraph, outlining the main developments. However, the statement that Manhattan's population 'has been decreased' is slightly imprecise in tense, and the data description could be extended with more direct comparisons between Manhattan and the outer districts. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are adequately addressed, earning a Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is structured into four distinct paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for Manhattan and the other districts. There is a clear logical progression overall. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'On the other hand', and 'as in the year 2000' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive ('shown an sharp climbing'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall trend from specific district data. Overall, coherence and cohesion meet the criteria for a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'population', 'percentage', 'districts', and 'citizens'. However, there are several word choice and collocation errors, such as 'an sharp climbing' instead of 'a sharp climb', 'reciding' instead of 'residing', and failure to capitalise proper nouns like 'new york city' and 'manhattan'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success. Spelling errors are present ('reciding'). This performance aligns with Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and temporal clauses ('as in 1800, 79,216 citizens were living... which then become...'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are errors in tense consistency ('which then become', 'district shown a continuous decrease', 'has been decreased'), article usage missing in places, and incorrect prepositions or pluralisation ('4 district only'). Punctuation needs improvement, particularly regarding capitalization of proper nouns throughout the text. These errors occasionally cause slight strain for the reader, placing the response at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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