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)
The given three tables represents the change in total population of New York city from 1800 to 2000. The second and third table depicts the changes in population of five districts of the city.
To begin with, in the year 1800 the population in New York of five districts was 79,216 the 76% of these population was from Manhattan which was 60,515 and 24% of it was from other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.Additionally, in 1900 the overall population was 3,437,2020 whereas Manhattan had 54% of the total population that was 1, 850, 093 and the other four districts had 46% whic was 1, 587 ,109. Furthermore, in 2000 the population was much more increased than last two years which was nearly 8 , 009 , 185. But there has been a huge change observed that is Manhattan has only 19% of population which is at the count of 1, 538, 096 when compared to other four districts. The Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island has 81% of the population and that counts 6, 471 , 089.
Overall it is clear from all the perspective that the least population was in 1800 that was 79 ,216 and it was then increased to 8,009 ,185. For the years 1800 and 1900 the highest population was in Manhattan but in 2000 people also started in other districts, so there was high population in other districts in 2000 compared to the population of Manhattan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and data from all three tables across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. An overview is provided in the final paragraph, which highlights the general growth in population and the shift from Manhattan to the other districts. However, some ideas are under-developed or lack full clarity in how the comparisons are articulated. For example, stating that 'the population was much more increased than last two years' is slightly inaccurate regarding the timeline spans, and data points are sometimes listed mechanically without fully synthesizing the broader demographic shifts. Nevertheless, the key trends are identified and supported with relevant figures from the visual data, satisfying the requirements for this level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. Information is sequenced chronologically by year, which helps the reader follow the temporal progression. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Linkers and transition phrases such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' are used in a somewhat repetitive or rigid manner. Furthermore, referencing and sentence linking occasionally falter, as seen in awkward phrasing like 'when compared to other four districts. The Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island has 81%...' which disrupts the smooth flow of information between sentences.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to demographics and data reporting such as 'population', 'districts', 'percentage', and 'overall'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, form, and spacing. For instance, writing 'represents' instead of 'represent' (subject-verb agreement), or spacing errors in numbers like '1, 850, 093' and '3,437,2020' (which also includes an extra zero digit). While these lexical and spelling slips do not severely impede communication, they reflect a restricted level of precision and control over vocabulary and numbers.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and comparative structures. However, there are noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. Issues include missing articles ('in New York of five districts'), awkward phrasing in verb tenses and passive structures ('people also started in other districts'), and prepositional errors. Punctuation and spacing within numbers and clauses are also erratic. Although these errors require the reader to occasionally re-read parts of a sentence, they rarely impede overall communication, demonstrating the characteristics of a mixed grammatical control level.
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