Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-04
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 given tables population changes in new york and its five districts Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten and Island from
1800 to 2000.
Overall, new york population is rose over those two centuires. Manhattan popultion showed declined, while other destircts populatons are shared surge.
In 1800, the city had a population of 79,216 and over the period it grew rapidly around 3,437,202 in 1900, and further to 8,009,185 in 2000.
Manhattan held 60,515 residents 76% of the total in 1800. By the 1900 it populations grew to 1,850,093 but it share dropped to 54%. By 2000, it fell to 1538,096 and total popultion share is 19%.
Other districts had 18,701 by the total propoetion of 24% it was lowest figure at the starting of the period. By 1900 it rose to 1,587,107 and also it share increased to 46%. In 2000 the population is at peak which is 6,471,089 and also percentage grew to 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 successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population changes alongside the breakdown for Manhattan and the other districts from 1800 to 2000. An overview is presented early in the response, noting the overall upward population trend, the decline in Manhattan's share, and the surge in the other districts. Relevant data is selected and accurately compared, such as Manhattan dropping from 76% to 19% while the remaining districts rose to 81%. However, some parts of the response show a tendency to list figures rather than fully extending the comparison of trends, meaning certain details remain slightly under-developed, bridging the gap between a fully comprehensive account and a competent summary.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, overview, overall trend, and specific district details. Ideas are generally grouped logically, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the visual data. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty, seen in missing links and abrupt transitions between sentences, such as moving from '60,515 residents' directly to '76% of the total'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the lack of smooth cohesive devices or transitional phrases prevents a completely fluent progression throughout the text, keeping the organizational structure at a competent level.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to demographic shifts, such as 'surge', 'proportion', and 'peak'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling, including 'centuires' instead of centuries, 'popultion' instead of population, and 'destircts' instead of districts. Additionally, awkward phrasing such as 'populations are shared surge' and 'by the total propoetion' detracts from precision. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips occur frequently enough to cause occasional hesitation for the reader, reflecting a limited range that meets the basic requirements of the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and time phrases. However, there is a limited range of reliable structures, and attempts at complex grammar are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing verbs ('The given tables population changes'), incorrect tense usage ('population is rose'), missing articles ('By the 1900 it populations grew'), and preposition errors ('at the starting of the period'). These errors in grammar and punctuation can cause some difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning of the data remains generally understandable.
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