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)
The tables illustrate comparisions between the populations from 1800 to 2000 in all districts overall, Manhattan , and other districts respectively. The other two tables also compare percentages of total population to specific years.
Overall, the population of new york city, including all five districts had significantly increased during the period of time. Districts except Manhattan experienced the highest figures in population altogether, increasing lowest figures.
Initially, at 1800 year new york accounted its population around 79 thousands while it dramatically increased from 3.4 million in 1900 to 8 million in total during its 2000s. During 18th century Manhattan only covered 76% of total population of new york with figures of 60 thousands. Whereass rest 24% was recorded in other districts.
However, Manhatten experienced a great decline in its population in 20th century with only proportions around 19% of total population. Whereas other districts such as; brooklyn, bronx , queens, staten island rose with the most of new york population. It accounted with almost 6.4 million having share of 81 % of total population
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000. An overview is attempted, and key data points such as the total population growth and the shifting percentages between Manhattan and the other districts are included. However, some parts of the response are less fully developed or slightly unclear, such as the sentence explaining that 'Districts except Manhattan experienced the highest figures in population altogether, increasing lowest figures,' which lacks precise clarity and sufficient detail regarding the exact growth trajectory of those outer districts.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure separating the introduction, overview, and body details. Information and ideas are generally organized logically, moving from total figures to district-level breakdowns. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, with awkward transitions between sentences. For instance, referencing and cohesive links such as 'Whereass rest 24%' and 'However, Manhatten experienced a great decline' create a slightly disjointed flow. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion requires smoother connectors to guide the reader effortlessly through the comparative data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed to complete the task successfully, incorporating terms like 'proportion,' 'dramatically increased,' and 'decline.' The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, but this is accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, form, and spelling, such as 'comparisions,' 'Manhatten,' and 'Whereass.' Furthermore, phrasing like 'accounted its population' and 'increasing lowest figures' demonstrates awkward collocations. While these lexical errors do not impede communication, they restrict the vocabulary score, as precision and control over less common items remain inconsistent.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting comparative and descriptive structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage that persist throughout the text, such as missing prepositions or incorrect time markers ('at 1800 year', 'during 18th century', 'It accounted with almost 6.4 million'). Punctuation and capitalization errors also occur, such as lowercase 'new york' and misplaced semicolons. While the meaning remains mostly clear and these errors rarely impede overall communication, the frequent structural inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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