Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-02

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)

This given table chart illustrate the information about the change in population of Now York City from 1800 to 2000 and compare with five districts of it over same period.

On the analysis, In 1800 New York total population wes around 79,216 and it's 76% of population was come from only one distirct that was Manhattan but rest of 24% was lived in other given districts in same year.afer 10 decades New York total population increased and reached upto 3 million

Moreover, it was vived that, only Manhanttan was holded 54%of total population which was reported [redacted phone]. Whereas, other four districts population was less then 32000 people only. However, this population was grow as four time more to it's past percentage and became 81% of total population in 2000.Other hand in same year New York population was rise by five million and 19% of it population published in Manhattan.

Overall, In the begining Manhattan was the only distict that holds highest number in population then it was decrease after next decates when population increased in other four districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting some key features and data while containing noticeable inaccuracies in reporting figures and proportions. For instance, the text claims that in 1900 other districts' population was less than 32,000 people only, which contradicts the provided data of over 1.5 million. Furthermore, some ideas are inadequately developed, and the overview is rather simplistic, merely stating that Manhattan's population decreased as other districts grew. To move to a higher level, the student needs to present a clearer overview of the main trends without sweeping generalisations and ensure that all figures and percentages cited are accurately retrieved from the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation with an attempt to structure the response into introduction, body, and overall summary paragraphs. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the logical flow is disrupted by awkward transitions and confusing sentence sequencing. Cohesive devices are used rather mechanically and inaccurately, such as 'On the analysis,' 'Moreover, it was vived that,' and 'Other hand in same year.' Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical links between sentences are weak and repetitive. To improve coherence and cohesion, the writer should use a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices to connect ideas smoothly and ensure that the progression of information clearly follows the chronological changes in the tables.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. There are numerous word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'Now York', 'distirct', 'vived', 'Manhanttan', 'holded', and 'begining'. The writer attempts to use some less common vocabulary, but these attempts are marred by inaccurate word forms and collocations, such as 'population was grow' and 'population published in Manhattan'. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their lexical range, eliminate basic spelling mistakes, and use appropriate word forms and collocations when discussing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense misuse, missing articles, and incorrect prepositions, such as 'This given table chart illustrate', '76% of population was come', 'was lived in', 'was rise', and 'after next decates'. These frequent errors can cause difficulty and strain for the reader. To progress to the next level, the writer needs to increase grammatical control, use accurate verb tenses for historical data, ensure proper subject-verb agreement, and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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