Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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 given tables illustrate data about the increasing number of population in USA from 1800 and 2000 also, the number of citizens had grown in five different districts in the same time period.

Overall, what stands out from the table is that in the New York city, the residents are showed an upward trend. Furthermore, another notable point is that in Manhattan city, the population were increased but the percentages of total population were decreased.

To begin with, all of the region in New York had expanded from 79,216 to 8,009,185 in the year of 1800 to 2000 respectively. Additionally, in 1800, the population of Manhattan city was 60,515 and the percentages of whole citizens was 76% which declined to 19% but the numbers were escalated.

In addition, the population and percentages were surged by the time period in other areas. Besides that from 1800 and 2000 the residents were 18,701 to 6,471,089 also, the percentages were highest in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts, so the response includes relevant overview points. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Manhattan’s population did not increase throughout the period; it rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 and then fell to 1,538,096 by 2000. The statement that its numbers “were escalated” therefore misrepresents the final change. The account also omits the important 1900 figures and gives little comparison across the three dates. To strengthen the response, report the rise in the city total, the peak and subsequent decline in Manhattan, and the other districts’ growing share, supporting these trends with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, with sequencing phrases such as “To begin with” and “In addition.” This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited, and several links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Additionally” and “Besides that” introduce points without making their relationship precise, while “the residents were 18,701 to 6,471,089” leaves the comparison awkwardly expressed. The overview and body also repeat the same general trends rather than developing a clear comparison across 1800, 1900 and 2000. Grouping the data by trend and using clearer references to each year would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “percentages,” “declined,” and “trend,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, such as “increasing number of population,” “the residents are showed an upward trend,” and “percentages were surged.” These expressions can make the intended meaning less natural or less clear. “Manhattan city” is also an imprecise label for the district. Aim for accurate, conventional phrases such as “the population increased,” “accounted for 76%,” and “the share fell.” More precise vocabulary for rises, falls, peaks and proportions would help you describe the data without relying on repeated general terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, including an overview beginning “Overall” and a comparison using “which declined.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors occur in basic sentence patterns as well as in longer clauses. Examples include “from 1800 and 2000,” “the residents are showed,” “the population were increased,” and “the numbers were escalated.” These show problems with prepositions, passive forms, subject–verb agreement and verb construction. Some sentences also combine several ideas without clear grammatical links, as in the final paragraph. Practise forming accurate past-tense comparisons and checking that each subject has the correct verb; for example, “Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900, then fell by 2000.”

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

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