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 population of Newyork saw a substantial increase in two decades. Overall, the number grew 100 times in 2000 in comparison to 1800.
Newyork city population increased by approx 80,000 to 8 million in 200 years. Manhattan was the most populated district in 1800 with 76% of total population. Even though number wise it got bigger in 1900 the percentage of population dropped. Other districts saw a soar in population in the 2000.
Newyork had the biggest jump in population from 1800 to 1900. From 80,000 to 3.4 million. Which continued its trend in 2000 with 8 million people living in the city. Manhattan district was the most populated district till 1900 with 1.85 million people. Which saw a sharp decline in percentage by 2000.
Other districts made up a very small number of only 18,701 in 1800. But, an uptrend was seen in 1900 and in 2000 it took over the Manhattan district with the majority of the population living across these districts. The numbers grew crazily from 1.5 million in 1900 to 6.4 million in 2000.
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 the main features of the tables, presenting data for New York City's overall population as well as the breakdown between Manhattan and the other districts from 1800 to 2000. Key comparisons are made, such as Manhattan's initial dominance in 1800 and its relative decline by 2000 compared to the other districts. However, there are some inaccuracies and vague expressions. For instance, the opening states the population grew in 'two decades' rather than two centuries, and phrases like 'grew crazily' lack academic precision. While all parts of the task are addressed, the development of ideas could be more precise and well-structured to meet the higher band criteria fully. This corresponds to a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, which provides a basic structural framework. However, logical progression between and within paragraphs is sometimes disrupted by abrupt transitions and choppy sentence structures, such as starting sentences with conjunctions ('But, an uptrend was seen...') or sentence fragments ('From 80,000 to 3.4 million. Which continued its trend...'). Cohesive devices are used, but referencing is occasionally unclear, and some sentences read as disconnected points rather than a cohesive flow of ideas. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal organization requires more refinement for clearer progression. This places the response firmly at Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'substantial increase', 'dominance', 'sharp decline', and 'uptrend'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, such as spelling 'New York' as 'Newyork' repeatedly, and using overly informal or imprecise language like 'grew crazily' and 'number wise'. Less common lexical items are attempted with mixed success. These lexical limitations and errors occasionally detract from the formal, academic tone expected in Task 1, making Band 6.0 the most appropriate score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several punctuation errors and sentence structure issues, notably sentence fragments such as 'Which continued its trend in 2000 with 8 million people living in the city' and 'Which saw a sharp decline in percentage by 2000.' Additionally, subject-verb agreement and preposition use show occasional flaws. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a Band 6.5, supporting a Band 5.5 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.