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 provided table charts illustrates the details regarding the total population of New york city and how it was distributed between Manhattan and the other four nations in three different years [redacted phone] and 2000.

Overall, New york city experinced continuous and massive population growth over the 2000 year period . However there was a major shift in where residents lived manhattan initiallly held the vast majority of the city s populations.

Looking at the details the total number of individuals lived in New york city stood at just 79,216 in the year of 1800 . Over the next one hundred years , this figure grew rapidly to roughly 3.4 million before more than doubling to reach a peak of over 8 million by 2000.

Regarding the specific districts , Manhattan was home to 60,515 people in 1800, which made up 76% Of the city s populations . Although it was population numbers rose significantly to 1,850,093 by 1900 , it was relative shere dropped to 54% in the of 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall trends: New York City’s population rose sharply, while Manhattan’s share declined as the other districts became more prominent. The figures for the city total and Manhattan in 1800 and 1900 are generally reported accurately. However, the response does not complete the comparison: it says Manhattan’s share fell “in the of 2000” but gives no clear 2000 figure, and it omits the other districts’ population and share figures altogether. The overview also says Manhattan initially held the majority, but does not summarise its eventual minority share. To strengthen the report, include the 2000 figures and directly compare Manhattan with the other districts across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the city total and Manhattan. This gives the reader a basic progression, and phrases such as “Overall,” “Looking at the details,” and “Regarding the specific districts” help signal each stage. However, the final paragraph stops before the comparison is completed, so the report feels unfinished and the information is not balanced across the tables. Some linking is also awkward, particularly “Although it was population numbers rose significantly,” which makes the relationship between the clauses unclear. Organise the detail paragraphs around the three years or compare Manhattan with the other districts, and use clear transitions to connect each comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “population growth,” “distributed,” “vast majority,” and “grew rapidly,” which helps describe the main trends. There is also an attempt to vary wording for population, such as “individuals” and “residents.” However, several inaccurate or misspelled choices reduce precision: “four nations” is not an appropriate term for the districts, “relative shere” is unclear, and “populations” is incorrectly used where the singular “population” is needed. Spelling and capitalisation errors, including “experinced,” “initiallly,” and “New york,” are noticeable. Choose precise terms such as “districts” and “proportion,” and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a complex contrast beginning “Although,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical relationships are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “The provided table charts illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the total number of individuals lived” needs a relative clause or a different verb pattern. The clause “Although it was population numbers rose” is not grammatically formed, and “it was relative shere dropped” lacks a clear subject and verb structure. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent. Practise building accurate clauses first, then combine them with contrast and time expressions.

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