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 provided tables details the overall and district wise change in population in New York City over the 1800, 1900 and 200 centuries.
Overall, population in all five districts increase subsequantly in each century. In district wise Manhattan was gradually decreased, while in constrast, other districts experienced a clear upward trend in population percentage. Interestingly, at district level the numbers seems increasing in each century but percentage reveals the completely different outcome.
In 1800, the total population of New York City was 79, 216 along with 76% in manhattan while 24% in other districts. By 19's centur,y the whole population notabely cross the figure of lakhs with 3.437,202 peoples in all districts. However, there was a reverse tredn accross districtsw, 22% reduction in manhattan population dropped to 54% while 22% increase in other districts rose 46%.
In 2000, a huge increase in overall population at New York City, contained 8,009,185 civilians, but district wise the fashion continue and the population fell dwon to 19% in manhattan. In other districts, there was an addtion of 35% in the figure closing the percentage at 81%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and providing relevant comparisons for both the overall population and the district breakdown. An overview is successfully presented, noting the general upward trend in population alongside the contrasting shift in percentage share between Manhattan and the other districts. However, some aspects are more fully developed than others; for instance, the description of population growth over the centuries tends to rely on basic listing of figures rather than fully extended analysis. To reach a higher band, the response would need to provide a more thoroughly developed comparison of the growth rates across all specified time intervals.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to group information logically by time period and district. Paragraphing is utilised to structure the response, separating the introduction from the body paragraphs. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, with awkward transitional phrases such as 'fashion continue' and 'reverse tredn accross districtsw'. Referencing and logical progression are occasionally obscured by these clunky transitions, preventing the flow from being entirely smooth. To improve further, the writer should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that sentences flow seamlessly into one another without abrupt shifts in focus.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical resource is limited and adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic information about population changes. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'civilians' and 'percentage share', but these attempts are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, including 'subsequantly', 'notabely', and 'accross'. There are also instances of inappropriate word forms, such as using 'fashion' to describe a trend. While communication is generally maintained, these frequent lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips restrict the vocabulary score to the lower range. Incorporating more precise statistical vocabulary and checking spelling would significantly enhance this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, with frequent reliance on simple frames and occasional faulty attempts at complex sentences. There are notable grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('population ... increase', 'numbers seems increasing'), incorrect verb tenses ('population fell dwon'), and missing or incorrect prepositions. Punctuation errors, such as misplaced commas in numbers ('79, 216'), also occur. While the meaning can generally be deciphered, these frequent errors in basic and complex structures cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the grammar score from rising higher.
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