Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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 total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The other two tables compares the changes in the population of the five districts of the in the same period of time.

Overall, New York City followed upward trend over the period of time. In addition Manhattan and the other five districts also showed the same trend.

New York City, total population is just around 79,216 in 1800, gradually increased to 3,437,202 in 1900. Moreover, it population skyrockted to 8,009,185 in 2000, recorded highest figure ever.

Manhattan, in 1800 its population is 60,515, which accounted the 76%. In 1900, population sharply rised to 1,850,093 which consisted to 54%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and include several accurate figures, such as 79,216 in 1800 and 8,009,185 in 2000. However, the response is incomplete: it stops during the Manhattan comparison, gives no 2000 Manhattan figure, and does not report the figures or changing share for the other districts. The overview also says Manhattan and the other districts followed the same upward trend, but Manhattan’s population fell between 1900 and 2000. The response is 102 words, below the required 150, which leaves the main comparisons substantially underdeveloped. To improve, cover all three years and contrast Manhattan’s decline after 1900 with the continued growth of the other districts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs beginning with the citywide and Manhattan figures. This gives the reader some sense of the intended progression, and linking expressions such as “Overall” and “Moreover” help signal relationships. However, the organisation is incomplete because the final paragraph ends abruptly and there is no separate account of the other districts or a concluding comparison. Some connections are also unclear, as in “the other five districts,” when the table groups Manhattan separately from the other four districts. Develop a complete paragraph for the district comparison and use clear references to guide the reader through the three dates.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “total population,” “accounted,” “gradually increased,” and “recorded highest figure.” These choices show an attempt to describe trends and proportions rather than simply list numbers. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “followed upward trend,” “consisted to 54%,” and “recorded highest figure ever.” There are also spelling errors in “skyrockted” and “rised,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Aim for precise, conventional chart language and check spelling carefully; for example, describe a population as “rose to” a figure and a share as “accounted for” a percentage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, including the relative clause in “60,515, which accounted the 76%.” The main figures are generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, tense, and sentence construction are evident. For example, “The other two tables compares” should use a plural verb, while “followed upward trend” needs an article. The phrase “Manhattan, in 1800 its population is…” is a sentence fragment or awkwardly joined clause, and the final sentence lacks closing punctuation. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and keep past-tense reporting consistent when describing historical data.

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