Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 the amendments of the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. While, second and third tables represent the changes in the population in the different districts of city as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island as in the same period.

Overall, it is evident that the total population has rosed over the period of time in New York city. Furthermore, Manhattan also increase in terms of population but it is diminished in terms of percentages. Other districts has shown steady growth over the period of time in both domains wither population or percentages of population.

Looking at first the population overall of New York City is 79,216 population in the year of 1800, 3,47,202 in the year of 1900, whereas, it significantly raised in the year 2000 by 8,009,185 total population.

Moving ahead to Manhattan district reduce year by year in terms of percentage whereas the population 60,515 in the year of 1800 with the percentage of 76% which gradually dimished to 19% in the year of 2000 with the 1,538,096 population. Other disctrics oklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island varied as its gradually increased over the period of time. Others districts population is about 18,701 with 24% percentage in the year of 1800 which rose to 81% with the population of 6,471,089 in the year of 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main time points and identify the central contrast: New York’s total population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share rose. Several figures are reported accurately, including the 1800 total and the 2000 figures for Manhattan and the other districts. This meets the task well, with some overview features already clearly selected. However, the 1900 total is misreported as 347,202 rather than 3,437,202, and the claim that Manhattan’s population increased is inaccurate: it rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000. The 1900 district figures are also omitted, so some comparisons are less fully developed than the overview suggests.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Moving ahead” signal transitions. However, some linking is mechanical or unclear. “While, second and third tables” does not form a complete contrast, and “Looking at first the population overall” is an awkward opening to the detail paragraph. The final paragraph combines Manhattan and the other districts, making the comparisons harder to follow, while “Other districts” and “Others districts” are repetitive and the reference in “varied as its” is unclear. Grouping the figures by period or by district would make progression more consistent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of task-related vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “gradually,” and “significantly,” so the meaning is generally recoverable. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision. “Amendments” is not suitable for changes in population, “rosed” is not the correct form, and “diminished” is used where a clearer description of a falling share is needed. There are also spelling errors such as “dimished” and “disctrics,” and the phrase “wither population or percentages” is difficult to interpret. Use a smaller set of accurate trend expressions and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and some attempts at more complex structures, including “While…” and “whereas…,” and the reader can usually understand the intended comparisons. However, control is inconsistent: “Other districts has shown” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “Manhattan also increase” uses an incorrect verb form. Several sentences are incomplete or awkwardly joined, such as “While, second and third tables represent…” and “Looking at first the population overall of New York City is…”. Articles and sentence punctuation also need attention, particularly in the opening. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and tense consistency when describing changes across the three years.

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

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