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 tables present information about the population of New York city and its five districts(Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island) from1800 to 2000.

Overall, it is evident, the population of New York city has significantly surged till the year 2000. On the other hand, The population of Manhattan district has decreased dramatically in 2000. In contrast, the population of other districts has also increased throughout the time period.

The population of New York city in 1800 was 79,216, which dramatically increased through the time period from1800 to 2000. In 1900 it was [redacted phone] more than twice of the population in 1800, and the all time high population was [redacted phone] in 200.

Manhattan was the most populated district of New York city from 1800 to 2000 with the population of 76% and 64% respectively. Moreover, the population of other districts increased significantly in 2000, standing at 81% , whereas the population manhattan city dropped to 19% only.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and the contrasting shift from Manhattan to the other districts, which are relevant main features. However, the account is only partial and some key details are inaccurate or unclear. Manhattan’s share was 54% in 1900, not 64%, and it was not the most populated district grouping throughout the whole period: by 2000 the other districts together accounted for 81%. The 1900 city total is misreported as “343720” rather than 3,437,202, and “all time high” does not clearly describe the comparison. The response is also two words below the 150-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Include accurate figures and develop the comparisons more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. The overview usefully contrasts the city’s growth with Manhattan’s declining share, and linking expressions such as “On the other hand” and “In contrast” help signal comparisons. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph moves between Manhattan and the other districts without clearly comparing all three years. Some connections are also awkward or unclear, such as “increased through the time period from1800 to 2000” followed by the 1900 figure. Organise the details chronologically and use clear references to distinguish population totals from percentages. This would make the relationships between the figures easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “population,” “district,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “standing at,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is also an attempt to vary wording with “surged” and “dramatically.” However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “dramatically” is used for a straightforward increase, while “all time high population” is not a natural way to describe the 2000 total. Spelling and presentation slips include “New York city,” “Staten island,” and “from1800.” Use precise terms such as “total,” “share,” and “accounted for,” and check proper names and spacing. More accurate collocations would make the report clearer and more appropriate to an academic summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt more complex structures, for example, “On the other hand, The population of Manhattan district has decreased dramatically in 2000.” However, control is uneven. The opening overview has faulty punctuation and sentence structure in “Overall, it is evident, the population…,” and the comparison “with the population of 76% and 64% respectively” does not form a clear grammatical relationship. There are also errors in articles, capitalization, and sentence boundaries, such as “the population manhattan city dropped” and the comma before “whereas.” Tense use is inconsistent when describing historical data (“has significantly surged” alongside past-tense figures). Practise clear past-tense reporting and build comparisons with complete, well-punctuated clauses.

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

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