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 table shows the change in the total population of New York citizens between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables compare the populations of five districts, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, over the same period. In the overview, the population of New York has risen overtime. At the start, the population of Manhattan has a peak value; in other areas, the population increased in the last period.
In 1800, the population of New York was about 79,216; it also grew in the next year to 3,437,202, and in 2000 it rose to 8,009,185, it can lead the other two years. The percentage of the population in Manhattan in 1800 was 76%, and it declined the next year to 54%, and in 2000 it was smaller than the other, at about 19%.
The total percentage in the other district is low in 1800 and 1900, but in 2000 it has risen to about 81%, leading the other two years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and the major shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts. The figures you give for the city total and Manhattan’s percentages are accurate, and the 2000 share of the other districts is also correctly reported. However, the overview is unclear in places: “At the start, the population of Manhattan has a peak value” does not explain that Manhattan had its highest population in 1900, not 1800. The statement that the other districts’ total percentage was “low in 1800 and 1900” is also misleading, since their share rose from 24% to 46%. Include the district population figures, especially the decline in Manhattan’s population from 1900 to 2000, to develop the comparison more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic overall structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the city total and population shares. This makes the main subject easy to identify. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview combines several trends without explaining their relationship, and the final paragraph repeats the change in the other districts’ share rather than adding a distinct comparison. Linking phrases such as “In 1800” and “In 2000” help orient the reader, but “the next year” is an unclear reference because the data points are a century apart. Organise the details into a clearer sequence—for example, first describe the city’s growth, then compare Manhattan with the other districts—and use precise references to the years.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “percentage,” “declined,” and “rose,” so the main trends can generally be understood. However, the range is somewhat repetitive, and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for this task. “New York citizens” refers to people rather than the city’s population, while “the other district” is inaccurate when discussing several districts. “Has a peak value” is also an awkward way to describe a population figure. More precise data-reporting language would help you distinguish population totals from proportions and describe changes clearly. Aim to use terms such as “population share,” “accounted for,” and “the remaining districts” accurately, rather than relying repeatedly on “rose” and “population.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses joined with “and” and the phrase “In the overview,” and the main information is usually understandable. However, some sentence structures are faulty or difficult to follow. The sentence beginning “In 1800, the population of New York was about 79,216” joins several independent clauses with commas, creating a run-on sentence. “It also grew in the next year” uses a time reference that does not fit the century-long interval, and “the population of Manhattan in 1800 was 76%, and it declined” mixes a population with a percentage. Use separate sentences or clear conjunctions, and ensure each subject matches its measurement. These issues limit grammatical control and make some comparisons less clear.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.