Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-14

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 depicts the amount of population of New York from 1800 to 2000. While the 2nd and 3rd table depict variations in five districts of that country. Overal the population rosed signfigiantly in New York. However, the population of Manhattan decreased in 1800s, 1900s and 2000s, while population of other districts jumped gradually.

The overall population of New York city districts showed a upward trend, numbers strating from around 80000 in 1800s to aproximately [redacted phone] and [redacted phone] in 1900s and 2000s respetively.

On the other hand, The proportion of population decreased brutally from 76%to 19% in district Manhattan, whilst the population growth skyroketed gradually in other disticts of New York. The population was 24% in 1800s, 46% in 1900s , and was 81% in 2000s.

In conclusion, oerall the population increased from 1800s to 2000s in New York, while the district Manhattan seen a significant decline in total population throughout the time period.

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’ share increased. You also include relevant figures for all three years, and the reported values are broadly consistent with the tables. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the total population in 1900 was about 3.44 million, not 350,000, and Manhattan’s population did not decline throughout the whole period—it rose from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000. Your overview therefore needs to distinguish population totals from percentages and describe Manhattan’s changing population more precisely. These omissions and unclear comparisons limit how fully the key features are reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to figures and a concluding statement. Contrast markers such as “However” and “On the other hand” help signal comparisons. Nevertheless, the progression is not always clear: the opening says Manhattan’s population decreased across the period, while the later paragraph discusses its percentage share, without clearly separating these two measures. The conclusion largely repeats the overview rather than adding a clear synthesis. Some linking is also mechanical, and the second sentence begins with “While” but is not joined to a main clause. Organise the report into a concise overview followed by clearly grouped comparisons, and use references that make it explicit whether you mean population or percentage.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “proportion,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “districts,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, the range and control are limited, with several inaccurate or unsuitable choices: “amount of population” is unnatural, “decreased brutally” is too dramatic for neutral data reporting, and “skyroketed gradually” combines an exaggerated verb with a gradual trend. Spelling errors such as “signfigiantly,” “strating,” “respetively,” and “disticts” are noticeable and sometimes slow reading. Aim for precise, neutral reporting language and check spelling carefully. Reusing accurate terms such as “population,” “share,” and “accounted for” would be more effective than forcing less suitable expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including a contrast clause beginning “While” and a sentence using “whilst.” However, control is uneven. “While the 2nd and 3rd table depict…” is a dependent clause without a main clause, and “The overall population … showed a upward trend” has an article error. There are also problems with tense and sentence construction in “the district Manhattan seen a significant decline,” while the opening shifts between singular and plural subjects. Punctuation and spacing around figures are inconsistent. Build a reliable base with complete sentences, accurate subject–verb agreement, and consistent past-tense reporting; then use contrast clauses only when they are grammatically complete.

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