Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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 variations in the total population across the five different districts of New York City in three centuries starting from 1800.The second and third tables show the proportions of population in Manhattan and other districts respectively.

Overall, year 2000 has the highest number of population among all five districts, followed by year 1900. Year 1800 has lowest population in New York. It shows the constant increase in population throughout the years. District Manhattan has highest population with proportion of 76% . Year 2000 has the lowest population in Manhattan, however, has the highest population in other four distrcits of New York in the same year. In 1900, population is slighlty higher in Mahattan than other districts.

In the first table, in 2000, there is highest population in New York which is 8,009,185, which is more than twice the population in 1900, 3,437,202. Early year has the lowest number of population, slightly over 79,000.

In other tables, population in 1800, is highest in Mahattan, 76%, but has the lowest number in other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, only 24%. In contrast, population has lowest proportions, only 19% in Mahattan whereas, highest proportions lived in other districts during the same year, 2000. Population in 1900, is on second rank with only 8% different in Mahattan and other districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall rise in New York City’s population and the shift from Manhattan to the other districts, and you include relevant figures such as 8,009,185 in 2000 and Manhattan’s 76% share in 1800. However, some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: Manhattan did not have its highest population in 1800; its population peaked in 1900 at 1,850,093, then fell by 2000. The statement that 1900 had an “8% different” share is also imprecise: the figures are 54% and 46%, an eight-percentage-point gap. The overview would be stronger if it clearly distinguished total population growth from Manhattan’s changing share and population, while developing the key 1900-to-2000 contrast more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs describing the tables. This helps the reader identify the broad topic. However, progression within the overview is difficult to follow because several comparisons are placed together without a clear order, and some statements are repeated later. For example, the shift from Manhattan to the other districts is mentioned in the overview and again in the final paragraph, while the 1900 comparison is expressed vaguely as “slightly higher” and later as “8% different.” Linking phrases such as “In contrast” are useful, but the relationships between ideas are not always clear. Group the total-population trend separately from the district-share comparison, and use precise references to years and figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportions,” “population,” “districts” and “in contrast,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, word choice and collocation are often awkward or repetitive: “number of population,” “highest number of population,” and “on second rank” are not natural ways to describe these figures. Some spelling errors, including “distrcits,” “slighlty” and “Mahattan,” also reduce accuracy. Use concise data-reporting expressions such as “the population reached,” “accounted for,” and “ranked second.” Take care to distinguish a population count from a percentage share; this would make comparisons more precise and help you demonstrate a broader, more controlled range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “however” and a comparison introduced by “whereas.” Some sentences communicate the intended meaning, but grammatical errors recur in sentence construction, articles, agreement and punctuation. For example, “Overall, year 2000 has the highest number of population” needs a more accurate article and tense, while “Year 1800 has lowest population” omits an article. The sentence beginning “In contrast, population has lowest proportions” is also difficult to parse because its clauses are not joined clearly. There are spacing and punctuation problems, such as the missing space after “1800.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build comparisons in complete, clearly connected clauses.

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