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 tables illustrates the number of population of New York city and it's bifurcation in five different districts in three different time period.
Overall, Manhattan comprises of more than three quarters of total population in 1800 which had been significantly reduced to almost one fifth of entire population in 2000.
The population of New York city had observed a sharp growth in three centuries. From just 79,216 in 2000 to 8,009,185, the figure had increased by almost one hundred times. Similarly, the population was constricted at Manhattan in 1800, which was later almost equally distributed between Manhattan and other four major districts in ninetenth century.
On the other hand, the population of Manhattan noted declinement of almost three hundred thousand in 2000 despite of increase in total population of New York city. At the same time, the population of four other districts quadrupled and reached to 6,471,089 from 1,587,109 in the same year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| 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 selecting key data points, such as the overall population growth and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, some aspects of the task are only partially covered or lack sufficient detail. For instance, the overview touches upon the massive decline in Manhattan's percentage, but the details provided in the body paragraphs contain some inaccuracies regarding the timeframes and figures. Specifically, the text states, 'From just 79,216 in 2000 to 8,009,185,' which confuses the starting year of 1800 with 2000, presenting a confused picture of the timeline. While the general trends are acknowledged, the underdeveloped selection and confused data points keep the task achievement at a partial level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, showing an attempt at logical organisation. However, the progression is sometimes hindered by mechanical or inaccurate use of cohesive devices, such as 'On the other hand,' which is used inappropriately here since the subsequent paragraph continues discussing population shifts rather than introducing a direct contrast. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, as seen in the phrasing 'in three centuries' when the span covers 1800 to 2000 (two centuries). Paragraphing is present, but the overall progression lacks the smooth and logical flow required for a higher level, resulting in an overall arrangement that feels somewhat disjointed.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'bifurcation,' 'constricted,' 'declinement,' and 'quadrupled.' However, there are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices that cause some difficulty for the reader. For example, 'tables illustrates' has a subject-verb agreement error, 'bifurcation' is misused to mean a division into five districts, and 'declinement' is a non-standard word form (the correct form is 'decline'). Spelling and word-formation errors recur throughout the text, reflecting a restricted control of lexical features.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors in verb tenses, articles, and prepositions inside grammatical patterns. For instance, the opening sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error ('The tables illustrates') and an erroneous pronoun contraction ('it's' instead of 'its'). Furthermore, the past perfect passive structure 'had been significantly reduced' is incorrectly applied to a simple historical trend, and prepositions are mishandled in phrases like 'in ninetenth century' (missing the article) and 'despite of' (incorrect combination). These frequent errors cause strain and difficulty for the reader.
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