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 given tables demonstrate the data of population growth in the newyork city from 1800 to 2000. The main table displays the data of New York city and other two tables contains data of city's five districts.

Overall, New York city has been increased rapidly between this time.Manhatten had a huge portion of NYC population initially but it spread by the time as per given data.

Initially, Manhattan had a large stake in New York's population which was 79,216, where in 1800 76% of population was living in Manhattan which was 60,515. The population of other 5 district combined was 18,701 which was 24% of NYC population. Population of New York increased to 3,437,202 by 1900 and population rato was Manhattan 54% to other districts 46% which was 1,850,093 and 1,587,109 respectively.

But by 2000, population rises to 8,009,185 and distribution of population was other districts 81% to Manhattan 19% which was 1,538,096 and 6,471,089, completely oppose tothe situation until 1900.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting overall trends and specific data figures for Manhattan and the other districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat limited. While you correctly highlight the major shift in population dominance from Manhattan to the outer districts, some of the data reporting is slightly confusing. For instance, the opening sentence of the third paragraph mixes up the total population figure with Manhattan's specific share, leading to minor inaccuracies in how the information is presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are selected and reported with greater clarity, avoiding any confusion between total city population and district-specific numbers while fully developing the comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a logical overall arrangement to your writing, with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to different time periods. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by mechanical or faulty cohesive devices. For example, transitional phrases like 'But by 2000' and 'completely oppose tothe situation' feel abrupt. Furthermore, paragraphing is slightly disjointed, as the overview is split and very brief. Referencing between sentences could also be smoother to help the reader follow the contrasting population shifts more naturally. To improve, work on using a wider and more natural range of cohesive links to connect sentences and paragraphs seamlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the basic trends through words like 'population', 'distribution', and 'percentage'. You also attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'stake' and 'distribution'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices throughout the text, including 'population rato' instead of 'ratio', and 'oppose tothe situation' instead of 'opposite of the situation'. Additionally, there are minor slip-ups with proper nouns and capitalization, such as 'newyork city', 'Manhatten', and 'tothe'. These errors do not completely impede communication, but they restrict your score. To achieve a higher band, focus on precise word choice, accurate word forms, and careful proofreading of spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting various descriptive patterns to report statistical changes over time. Nevertheless, there are frequent grammatical errors in your sentences, particularly regarding article usage, prepositions, and verb forms. Examples include 'in the newyork city' (unnecessary article and capitalization), 'has been increased rapidly' (incorrect passive voice for an intransitive verb), and 'population rises' where past tense is required ('rose'). Your attempts at complex sentences often contain structural flaws that require the reader to slow down. To progress, you need to improve your control over basic grammatical forms, tense consistency in historical data reports, and accurate prepositional phrasing.

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

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