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 first table demonstrate the overall changes in population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The other two tables illustrate the changes in population among five districts of the city i.e. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over the same period.
Overall, Manhattan ranks on first place as it is compared as individual among the other districts. All the other districts can also be ranked because they have highest number of people in 2000.
Let's talk about Manhattan, it was consisted of 76% of the NYC population not until 1900 and 2000. It's population drastically fell after 1900 as the populution rate was higher. It fell to only 19% in 2000.
If we consider the other districts, we can notice an even increase in the population with respect to time. They consist of the lowest population in 1800s but as the time passed, it keeps on growing and eventually in 2000s, it grows upto 81% of total population of New York City.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the tables, presenting data for both Manhattan and the combined other districts over the selected years. However, the task is only partially addressed because the student's commentary is somewhat confused and imprecise. For example, stating that 'Manhattan was consisted of 76% of the NYC population not until 1900 and 2000' misinterprets the data trends. Furthermore, the selection of data is basic and lacks a fully clear comparative overview, meaning the response remains at a limited level of development where some ideas are unclear or inaccurately interpreted from the visual stimulus.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text shows an attempt at organisation by breaking information into separate paragraphs for introduction, overview, and body details. However, there is no clear overall progression and the flow of ideas is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions, such as 'Let's talk about Manhattan' and conversational phrasing that is inappropriate for an academic report. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, leading to a disjointed reading experience. Paragraphing is present, but internal referencing and logical sequencing between sentences require significant improvement to achieve a clearer, more coherent structure.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, with noticeable errors that occasionally cause confusion for the reader. Phrases like 'ranks on first place', 'populution rate', and 'grows upto' demonstrate issues with word formation, spelling, and prepositional collocations. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'drastically fell', but generally relies on basic descriptive terms. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of precise lexical items and demonstrate better control over word choice and spelling.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as passive voice misuse ('was consisted of'), tense inconsistencies, and article errors. For instance, 'the populution rate was higher' lacks clear contextual reference. While the meaning is generally decipherable, these frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher level of grammatical control.
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