Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12
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 fluctutations in the total population of New York City, while the second and third tables depict variations in the population of the five districts of the city between 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the population of all five districts increased signficantly throughout the period. Manhattan had the highest population compared with Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.
New York City population stood at 79,216 in 1800, before further rising to 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 by 2000. Manhattan had the largest proportion of population with 76%(60,515) of the total compared with other districts which accounted for 24%(18,701) only in 1800.
In 1900 other four districts popluation figure rose sharply from 24%(18,701) to 46%(1,587,109) of the total population, whereas Manhattan population also considerably grew to just over half of the total. Furthermore, other districts(Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) population percentage reached a peak 81%(6,471,089) by 2000, while Manhattan population slightly decrease from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096 and percentage stood at 19% .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main overall rise in New York City’s population and report several relevant figures, including the total in all three years and the changing shares of Manhattan and the other districts. However, the overview is inaccurate: Manhattan did not have the highest population throughout the period, since the combined other districts exceeded it by 2000. The response also says the other districts’ share reached a “peak” without clearly contrasting this with Manhattan’s decline, and some comparisons are underdeveloped. The required minimum was not met: the response is 146 words, with 18 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. Add a concise, accurate overview and develop the key contrast between Manhattan and the other districts.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to figures for 1800, 1900 and 2000. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “whereas” and “Furthermore” help show relationships between points. However, the progression is not always clear: the overview claims Manhattan had the highest population, while the final paragraph shows that the other districts had a much larger share by 2000. The long final sentence also combines several comparisons, making the information harder to follow. Some references, such as “other four districts,” are less precise than the table’s grouping of the four districts together. Organise the body around the changing balance between Manhattan and the other districts, and use shorter sentences to make each comparison clear.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “rose sharply” and “considerably grew.” These choices help describe changes and comparisons. However, several spelling errors are noticeable, including “fluctutations,” “signficantly” and “popluation,” and some expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “population figure rose” and “reached a peak” for a share that is simply higher in the final year shown. “Variations” also suggests changes in different directions, whereas the overall city population consistently increased. Check spelling carefully and choose collocations that describe the data precisely. More accurate phrasing would make the comparisons easier to understand and give the vocabulary a more controlled, report-like style.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a time clause beginning “before.” The main figures and trends are generally understandable. However, errors recur in sentence structure and grammatical forms. For example, “between 1800 to 2000” uses the wrong preposition pattern; write “between 1800 and 2000” or “from 1800 to 2000.” In “Manhattan population slightly decrease,” the possessive/article and verb form need correction (“Manhattan’s population slightly decreased”). The phrase “other districts … population percentage reached” also needs a clearer possessive construction, and punctuation around the parenthetical list is inconsistent. Review these patterns and aim for accurate complex sentences as well as simple ones.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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