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)
From the tables given, it presents the population increase of New york city and its district from years 1800 to 2000.
Overall we can see that in year 1800 New york city has the lowest number of population which is 79,216. By the year of 1900, the peoples quadruple to 3,437,202. After hundred years in 2000, the mass almost doubled again with 8,009,185 people in total.
From the information table, Manhattan contains 76 percent of population during the 1800s, where the other district of New york city in combind has 18,701 people or 24 percent of population in the same time. In 1900s, we can see that 54 percent of new yorkers lives in Manhattan and 46 percent of them lived in other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx. Qureens, Staten Island. Peoples started to sprend around the city in this time.
By the year of 2000, People of New york city specially Manhattan got decresed by 81 percent, where other area peoples gor boosted.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the changing balance between Manhattan and the other districts, which are central features of the tables. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. The total population did not quadruple from 1800 to 1900; it rose from 79,216 to 3,437,202, a much larger increase. More importantly, the final sentence says Manhattan decreased “by 81 percent,” but 81% is the share of the other districts in 2000; Manhattan’s share was 19%. The overview also needs to state clearly that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 and then fell, while the other districts grew substantially. Select and report these comparisons precisely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a summary of total population growth, and details about the districts. Time markers such as “In 1900s” and “By the year of 2000” help readers follow the chronology. However, progression is weakened by unclear references and abrupt claims. “From the information table” does not specify which table, and “People of New york city specially Manhattan got decresed by 81 percent” is difficult to interpret. The final paragraph is also too brief to explain the 2000 comparison. Use a clearer sequence—overview first, then district figures by year—and connect each comparison explicitly, for example, “whereas the other districts accounted for 81%.”
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant terms, including “population,” “district,” “percentage,” and “in total,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, making parts of the report awkward or confusing. “The peoples quadruple” and “the mass almost doubled” are not suitable ways to describe population figures; “population rose” would be clearer. “Got boosted” is informal, while “sprend” and “combind” contain spelling errors. There are also inconsistent forms such as “new yorkers” and “New york city.” Aim for precise, neutral report language and check spelling and capitalization, especially for place names and key data terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts a few longer structures, such as “where the other district … has 18,701 people or 24 percent,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in tense, agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur frequently enough to make some statements hard to follow. For example, “New york city has the lowest number of population” uses an awkward grammatical pattern, and “54 percent of new yorkers lives” has a subject–verb agreement error. The final sentence, “People of New york city specially Manhattan got decresed by 81 percent,” lacks a clear grammatical relationship between its parts. Practise accurate simple comparisons first, then combine them with clauses using “while” or “whereas.”
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