Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06

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 first table illustrates the rise in the population of all the five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) of New York city over the years 1800, 1900 and 2000. Whereas, the second and third tables present district wise increase in the population over the same time spam.

Overall, the population of New York city increased over the period of 200 years. Whereas, people residing in the Manhattan decreased compared to other states by 2000.

The population of New York rose significantly over the period of 200 years. In 1800, there where 79,216 people residing in New York. This number increased to 3,437,202 by 1900 and 8,009,185 by the year 2000 which is significantly higher than it was in 1800.

From second and third table, it is clear that the Manhattan state of New York was the most populated state in the year 1800 with 60,515 residents living in the state which is 76% of the entire New York population. In the year 1900, it increased to 1,850,096 but then decreased by the year 2000 to 1,538,096 which was 19% of the entire population. The population in the other districts were relatively lower in 1800 (that is 18,701, 24% of the city's population). It rose to 1,587,109 by 1900 and 6,471,089 by 2000 which 81% of the population of New York city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting an overview and reporting key figures from the tables, including overall population changes and the distribution between Manhattan and other districts. However, some aspects of Task Achievement are only partially developed. For instance, the overview lacks a complete synthesis of the overall trend across all districts, and the specific data points are occasionally imprecise, such as misstating the 1900 Manhattan population figure as 1,850,096 when the table reads 1,850,093. Furthermore, describing Manhattan as a 'state' is factually incorrect for New York City geography. While the main features are selected and reported, the development of comparisons between the districts remains somewhat limited, keeping the performance at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. The use of transitional phrases like 'Whereas,' at the beginning of sentences and paragraphs is repetitive and grammatically awkward. Referencing and progression between ideas could also be smoother, as the transition from the citywide population to the district-specific breakdown feels abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logical flow of sentences within the paragraphs occasionally stumbles due to these mechanical cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'residents', 'percentage', and 'district wise'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and inappropriate word choices throughout the response. For example, 'time spam' is used instead of 'time span', 'where' is used instead of 'were', and Manhattan is incorrectly referred to as a 'state' rather than a district or borough. Spelling and word-choice errors do not completely impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to use relative clauses and comparative structures. There are, however, some recurring errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include agreement issues and missing prepositions or incorrect relative pronouns, such as 'which 81% of the population' missing the verb 'was'. Punctuation errors are also present, such as unnecessary commas and fragmented sentence structures starting with 'Whereas,'. While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they occur frequently alongside mixed structural accuracy.

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