Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-03
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 following table provides information on the overall population of New York from 1800 to 2000; whereas the second and third illutrates the chages in population of five districts in the similar period.
Overall the population of New York rose sharply thorught both the centuries, which was the same for all the five districts thoughout the Mangattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
From the table we can see that, the population of the city of New York saw a steady rise from 79,216 in 1800 to almost 3.4 million. Similarly, the number double the following century 8 million in 2000.
Manhattan population which was only 60,515 sky rocketed to 1.8 million which was 54% of the total population of New Yoork in 1900, which dropped down slightly to 1.5 million in 2000. Remaining districts too saw a surge in population from 18,701 in 1800 to 6.4 million in 2000 which was 81% population of New York living in districs other than Manhattan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main parts of the task by presenting the overall population trends and mentioning Manhattan and the other districts, including some percentages and figures. However, the information is only partially developed and contains generalisations. For instance, the statement that the population 'double the following century 8 million in 2000' is mathematically imprecise and lacks clarity. Furthermore, while the writer attempts to make comparisons, the lack of precise data representation for all individual districts listed in the prompt means some parts are under-developed. To reach a higher level, the response should systematically report key data points for all districts rather than grouping four districts together as 'remaining districts', and ensure all figures quoted accurately reflect the source material without inaccuracies in calculation or transcription.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text shows some overall organisation with an introductory paragraph, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific data. However, progression is somewhat disjointed and cohesion is mechanical or faulty in places. For example, the transitional phrase 'whereas the second and third illutrates' is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow of the introduction. Paragraphing is attempted, but the logical sequence of ideas within paragraphs lacks smooth transitions. Pronoun referencing and substitution are occasionally unclear, such as the vague link between sentences in the third paragraph. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more accurately and ensure that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one with clear, seamless transitions between general overviews and specific numerical details.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use less common items such as 'sky rocketed', 'surge', and 'sharply'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that detract from the quality of the writing, including 'illutrates' instead of illustrates, 'chages' instead of changes, 'thorught' instead of through, 'Mangattan' instead of Manhattan, and 'districs' instead of districts. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they reveal limitations in lexical control and precision. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, improve spelling accuracy, and employ more precise collocation and phrasing when describing statistical trends and demographic changes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, with frequent errors that can cause some difficulty for the reader. There is a heavy reliance on simple constructions, and attempts at complex sentences are often faulty. For example, the opening sentence contains a structural and punctuation flaw with the semi-colon/conjunction usage ('...from 1800 to 2000; whereas the second...'). Other issues include subject-verb agreement errors, such as 'the second and third illutrates' and 'the number double', as well as missing prepositions and article errors ('population of New Yoork in 1900, which dropped down...'). To progress, the writer must focus on increasing grammatical accuracy, mastering basic subject-verb agreements, improving tense consistency, and correctly constructing complex sentences without frequent errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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