Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-05

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)

Three tables show information about population changes over 3 centuries in the New York city which includes five districts such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island of the United States (US).

In the year 1800, New York city had population of 79,216. It increased in 19th century at 3,437,202 and also continuously rose untill 20th century at 8,009,185. The Manhattan had 60,515 population in the beginning year 1800 that was the highest among all five districts. In 19th century the population of Manhattan started to fall at 54% with 1,850,093 people. Consistently it decreased to 19% at 1,539,096 in the 20th century. Whereas other districts population had an increased trend throughout the all 3 centuries.

In the 2000 the population of Manhattan was 1,538,096 at 19%. In contrast the other districts population were 6,471,089 at 81% among the overall population of New York in 2000 at 8,009,185.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response partially addresses the task. While you have reported some key figures and made basic comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts, the analysis remains limited and lacks a fully developed overview. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the response falls slightly short of the minimum 150-word count. To reach a higher band, you need to ensure you meet the word count, select and report more comprehensive data trends, and present a clearer overall summary of the changes over the three centuries.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in your response, but the overall progression is somewhat disjointed. You attempt to use cohesive devices such as "In the year 1800", "In 19th century", and "In contrast", but they are sometimes repetitive or mechanically applied, as seen in the slightly awkward transition into the final paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but the logical flow between ideas needs to be smoother. To improve, work on connecting your sentences and paragraphs more naturally to guide the reader through the data without abrupt shifts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic meaning of the charts. You make some noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as writing "population changes over 3 centuries in the New York city" instead of 'in New York City', and using awkward expressions like "beginning year 1800" and "other districts population had an increased trend". There are also minor numerical discrepancies in your text, such as reporting 1,539,096 instead of the provided 1,538,096. To achieve a higher score, you should expand your range of vocabulary and use less common lexical items with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You demonstrate a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple and moderately complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ("the New York city", "the Manhattan"), prepositions ("in 19th century" instead of 'in the 19th century', "throughout the all 3 centuries"), and tense consistency. For instance, writing "untill 20th century at 8,009,185" lacks necessary articles and prepositions. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures, article usage, and accurate prepositions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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