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 table showed the population of five ditricts which change over the time other both tables illustrated the proportion of population in Manhattan and other districts in New york in 1800 to 2000

Overall, it is clear that population of New york city increased dramatically over the period while Manhattan district was the top contributor of population but later experienced a sharp decline in their share. Moreover other districts saw noticeable change in their portion.

first of all New york city have 5 districts and its population increased from 79,216 people to 34,37,202 in around 1800 to 1900 while the largest share consist on Manhattan district which took around 76% in 1800. In contrast the other five districts just contribute the shallest share of the overall population around 24%. also experienced a considerable change in their portion and reach around 46% in 1900 which is doubled from privious On the other hand Manhattan saw a dramatic fall in their population which reach point at 54%.

Then the city saw a sharp increased in population in around 8,009,185 which is more than double in 2000 at that time most of the population share taken by other four districts which contribute largest share at 81% in 2000

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000. You successfully identified the overall growth trajectory of the city and highlighted the shifting population proportions between Manhattan and the other districts, such as pointing out that Manhattan held 76% in 1800 before dropping to 19% in 2000. However, some ideas and comparisons are under-developed or lack precise support, and certain data points are slightly inaccurate, such as stating the 1900 population as '34,37,202' instead of '3,437,202'. To reach a higher band, you should ensure all key statistics are transcribed and compared more accurately, providing a more fully extended and precise overview of the data trends throughout the entire period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement, successfully dividing information into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that discuss the different years and districts. However, cohesion is frequently faulty or mechanical. You rely on basic or repetitive transitions like 'first of all', 'also', and 'Then', which makes the logical progression between sentences feel disjointed at times. Additionally, referencing is not always clear, such as the ambiguous use of pronouns like 'their' when referring back to districts or population shares. To achieve a higher band, you need to use a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing is precise and smooth throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to discuss population figures, percentages, and trends. You make valid attempts to use less common vocabulary items such as 'contributor', 'proportion', and 'dramatic fall'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'ditricts', 'shallest' instead of 'smallest', and 'privious' instead of 'previous', alongside unnatural collocations like 'consist on Manhattan district' and 'reach point at'. While these lexical inaccuracies do not completely impede communication, they restrict your score. To improve, you should focus on accurate spelling, appropriate word forms, and natural prepositional collocations when describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of structures, featuring a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. While you attempt complex structures using relative clauses and subordinate conjunctions, these attempts are often faulty, as seen in 'while the largest share consist on Manhattan district which took around 76%'. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, including missing articles ('the table showed', 'New york city have'), tense inconsistencies ('showed', 'change', 'illustrated'), and punctuation issues such as missing periods. These errors require some effort to decode but rarely impede overall comprehension. To move up, you need to demonstrate greater control over basic grammatical rules, verb agreements, and sentence boundaries.

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

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