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 given table shows the total number of population increased in the New York between 1800 and 2000, While rest of the tables shows data of the New york's five different districts's population growth at the same time.

Overall, year 2000 was the highest among all other cities in terms of population, Whereas 1800 remained under 100k. Individually, the table has numbers of five major districts, which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx,Queens, Staten Island.

In total, the New york had less than 80k citizens back in 1800 and just after another 100 years in 1900, the number rose upto 3,000,000. In 2000, the population showed significant growth of nearly 2x bigger, stating the population more than 8,000,000.

From five districts, the Manhattan's growth decreased graudally and came around 19%. Moreover, other four districts have gradual increased in all three centuries. The population was before only had 24% and by the time, in 2000, the number increased to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern: New York’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ combined share increased. You also include relevant figures for the total and the district percentages, and the broad comparisons are grounded in the tables. However, some details are imprecise or unclear. The total in 1900 was about 3.44 million, not simply 3 million, and the rise to 8 million was not “nearly 2x bigger” than the 1900 figure. The overview also incorrectly refers to 2000 as the highest among “all other cities”; the data compare years, not cities. Reporting Manhattan’s population figures, or clarifying that the other districts are grouped together, would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the total population and district trends. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the information. Some linking is effective, such as “Moreover” to introduce the other districts’ trend. However, progression is weakened by unclear references and occasional mechanical connections. “Overall, year 2000 was the highest among all other cities” is difficult to interpret, while “From five districts” does not clearly signal that the figures describe Manhattan and the combined remainder. The overview also repeats information that is then restated in the body. Organise the overview around the two main contrasts, then use the body paragraphs to support each with precise figures and clear references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “districts,” “decreased,” “increased,” and “significant growth.” This is enough to communicate the broad trends, but the range and control are limited, and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural: “total number of population,” “growth decreased,” and “nearly 2x bigger.” Spelling and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in “graudally” and “New york.” These issues sometimes make the intended comparison less clear. Aim for standard data-reporting phrases such as “the population rose to,” “accounted for,” and “the proportion declined,” and use exact or appropriately qualified comparisons rather than informal expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “while” and “which,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, some sentence structures and grammatical forms are inaccurate. For example, “the total number of population increased” has an awkward noun structure, and “other four districts have gradual increased” has errors in verb form and tense. The sentence beginning “The population was before only had 24%” is particularly difficult to follow because its clause structure is incomplete. There are also issues with articles, possessives, and punctuation, including inconsistent capitalisation after commas. Use straightforward past-tense sentences to report the three dates, and check that each clause has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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