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 growth from 1800 to 2000, along with the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. An overview is present, and key comparisons are made, such as Manhattan's initial dominance and the subsequent shift towards the other districts by 2000. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and loose descriptions, such as stating the population grew '100 times' (it grew roughly 100-fold, specifically over 100 times from 79k to 8m, which is technically correct, but phrasing like 'grew crazily' is overly informal). The response meets the task requirements well, though the support and extension of ideas are slightly hindered by informal register and disjointed paragraphing. This corresponds to a Band 6.5, rounded to Band 6 for under-developed extensions.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response presents a clear overall progression, tracing the timeline from 1800 through 1900 to 2000. However, the paragraphing is very choppy and fragmented, with several single-sentence or very short paragraphs that disrupt the flow. Cohesive devices are used, but some are applied mechanically or start sentences inappropriately, such as 'Which continued its trend' or 'But, an uptrend was seen'. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear or disjointed. While the logical organization is generally apparent, the lack of cohesive unity and awkward paragraph structure prevent the response from achieving a higher band. This fits the Band 6 descriptor well.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'substantial increase', 'dominance', 'sharp decline', and 'uptrend'. However, there are noticeable limitations in lexical control and register. The student misspells 'New York' as 'Newyork' throughout, and uses overly informal or colloquial phrasing such as 'grew crazily' and 'number wise it got bigger'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, and word choice errors occasionally surface. This sits comfortably within the Band 6 territory, where vocabulary is adequate to convey the message despite inappropriate register choices.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing introductory subordinate clauses such as 'In comparison to 1800' and 'Even though number wise it got bigger'. However, control over sentence boundaries is weak, leading to frequent fragment sentences, such as starting a sentence with a relative pronoun ('Which continued its trend in 2000...') or isolating prepositional phrases. Grammatical errors and punctuation flaws occur regularly, particularly with sentence fragments and missing commas, though they do not completely impede communication. This balance of mixed structures and frequent minor errors reflects the Band 6 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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