Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09
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 stipulated tabular charts illustrate the information regarding the change in the total population of New York City during 1800 to 2000 and the second and third tables reveal the change in population of the five districts of the city such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten island over the same period.
From the bird eye-view, it is crystal clear that, the maximum population was noticed in New York City in the last given year.
To embark with, the total population of New York City during 1800 was accounted at 79,216. Whereas, in 1900, it was stood at 3,437,202. Moreover, 8,009,185 population was recorded in New York City during 2000.
Moving ahead, the population of Manhattan district as per the total proportion during 1800, 1900, and 2000 was 76%, 54% and 19% orderly. Furthermore, a difference of 15,68,408 was noticed between the change in population of other districts of New York City during 1800 (18,701) and 1900 (15,87,109). With regards to, the total population of other districts of New York City in 1900 and 2000, the formor stood at 46% and latter was accounted at 81%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and report the total figures for all three years accurately. You also note Manhattan’s declining share and the other districts’ increasing share. However, the account is only partial: it omits Manhattan’s actual population figures, the 2000 population of the other districts, and the important fact that Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096. The comparison between the other districts in 1800 and 1900 is also unclear because it gives a difference rather than explaining the trend. Develop the overview to contrast the city’s overall growth with the shift in population share away from Manhattan, and select key figures to support that comparison.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic sequence: an introduction, a brief overview, and paragraphs reporting the total and district data. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Moving ahead” show an attempt to connect points. However, the progression is not consistently clear, and some transitions feel mechanical or do not accurately signal the relationship between ideas. For example, “Whereas” begins a fragment rather than a complete contrast, while “With regards to” introduces a sentence whose comparison is difficult to follow. The final paragraph also shifts between population counts and percentages without clearly distinguishing them. Group the information more deliberately—for example, total population first, then Manhattan versus the other districts—and use clear references and transitions to show how the figures relate.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some task-related vocabulary, including “total population,” “proportion,” and “recorded,” and the main topic remains understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are unnatural or imprecise for describing tables. Phrases such as “stipulated tabular charts,” “from the bird eye-view,” and “the maximum population was noticed” sound awkward, while “orderly” does not correctly mean “respectively.” There are also spelling errors, including “formor” and “Staten island.” Aim for straightforward, accurate reporting language rather than ornate phrases: describe figures as rising, falling, accounting for a share, or standing at a value. Check spelling and choose collocations that are natural in formal data summaries.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer structures, but control is inconsistent, particularly in the more complex sentences. For example, “during 1800 to 2000” uses an incorrect time construction, and “in 1900, it was stood at” combines incompatible verb forms. “Whereas, in 1900, it was stood…” is also a fragment, and the opening sentence has an awkward structure that makes the relationship between the tables difficult to follow. Punctuation is sometimes misplaced, as in the comma after “crystal clear that.” Practise building complete sentences with accurate past-tense verbs and clear comparisons, such as “The population stood at… in 1800 and rose to… in 1900.” Greater accuracy in these patterns would make the data easier to understand.
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