Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01
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 the proportion of population growth in five districts of the New York city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) respectively, from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the population of New York city increased significantly throughout the two centuries. In the first ten decades more the 50% contribution to the population from Manhattan district and the remaining proportion is from other four districts. Meanwhile, the notable point is for the following ten decades, Manhattan's share went to the quarter of the all other four districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island).
Looking into more details, in 1800 there was 76% population belonging to Manhattan with 60515 individuals and the almost remaining quarter of population from other four districts. In the same in 1900 the population share of Manhattan deceased by 22 percentage piont by 54%, on the other hand, there was 46% contribution from the other remaining districts.
Regarding the last ten decades in 2000 there population of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island surpassed the Manhattan by 81 percentage. The notable point is in the last ten decades Manhattan population decreased by almost 0.3 million individuals.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. An overview is attempted at the beginning, noting the general upward trend and the shift in population distribution. However, some parts of the task are more fully developed than others, and certain details are unclear or slightly confused. For instance, phrases like 'in the first ten decades more the 50% contribution' and 'Manhattan's share went to the quarter of the all other four districts' are confusingly phrased and make the comparison difficult to follow. While the key data points—such as the 1800 and 2000 percentages—are generally mentioned, the lack of precision in describing the proportions prevents the response from achieving a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into logical paragraphs, separating the introduction, overview, and body details. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Expressions used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Looking into more details', 'In the same in 1900', and 'Regarding the last ten decades in 2000 there population', feel awkward and disrupt the natural flow of information. Referencing is also not always clear, particularly in the second paragraph where the relationship between Manhattan's share and the other districts is muddled. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion requires smoother transitional phrases to link ideas logically.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'proportion', 'population growth', 'districts', and 'contribution'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling. Examples include 'percentage piont' instead of 'percentage point', 'there population' instead of 'their population' or 'the population', and 'decreased by 22 percentage piont by 54%'. Words are occasionally used in slightly unnatural contexts, such as 'the first ten decades more the 50% contribution', but meaning is still generally conveyed without severely impeding communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures frequently contain errors. There are numerous issues with prepositions, articles, and verb tenses, such as 'in the first ten decades more the 50% contribution to the population from Manhattan district', 'In the same in 1900', and 'there population of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island surpassed the Manhattan'. Punctuation is also weak, with missing commas and run-on phrasing in places like 'Regarding the last ten decades in 2000 there population...'. While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur frequently enough to restrict the text to this level.
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