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 shows the changes in population of New York city from 1800 to 2000.
The population of the New york city was highest in the year 2000 and about its half in 1900 and the population was the lowest in year 1800.
The Second table gives us the contribution of the Manhattan district in the years 1800,1900 and 2000.whereas the third table shows the contribution of the district Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and Staten Island.
The contribution of Mnahattan district in the total population of New York city in 1800 was maximum 60,515 which is 76% of the total population of the New York city which was 79,212 and the contribution of other districts was18,701 which is 24% the of the total population.But in year 1900 the contribution of Manhatten district somehow decreased to 1,850,093 which is 54% of the population of NewYork city which was 3,437,202 and the contribution from other districts inreased to 1,587,109 which is 46% of total population.In year 2000 the contribution of Manhattan in the total population of New York 8,009 was less than the prevois years.It was 1,538,096 which is 19% of the total population and contribution of other district increased to 6,471,089 Which is 81% of total population of New York city.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and report figures for Manhattan and the combined other districts across all three years. The comparisons in 1900 and 2000 are relevant, especially the shift from Manhattan holding 54% to just 19%, while the other districts reach 81%. However, the overview is limited: it does not clearly summarise the main pattern that Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 and then fell, while the other districts grew throughout. There is also a factual error: the 1800 city total is 79,216, not 79,212, and the 2000 total is incorrectly written as “8,009” rather than 8,009,185. A clearer overview and accurate totals would make the key features more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response follows a broadly sensible order: it introduces the tables, gives a brief summary, and then compares the districts by year. Time markers such as “in 1800,” “in year 1900” and “in year 2000” help readers follow the data. However, the writing is presented as one long block, so the overview and detailed comparisons are not clearly separated. Connections between ideas also rely heavily on repeated “contribution” and “which,” and the contrastive “But” does not always create a smooth progression. For example, the 2000 figures are crowded into one sentence. Use distinct paragraphs for the overview and details, and group the figures into clearer comparisons to improve progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “total population,” “district” and “percentage,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “the contribution of” and “total population.” Some choices are awkward for describing statistical data: “the contribution … was maximum” and “somehow decreased” do not express the trends naturally. Spelling errors such as “Mnahattan,” “Manhatten,” “inreased” and “prevois” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise trend language and vary your reporting verbs; for example, describe a population as “accounting for” a share, or say that a figure “declined” or “rose.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts to combine information in longer sentences, using clauses introduced by “whereas” and “which,” but these structures are often difficult to control. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are inconsistent: “2000.whereas” runs two ideas together, and the long comparison beginning “But in year 1900” contains several clauses without clear separation. There are also errors in articles and sentence patterns, as in “in year 1800” and “the population of the New york city was highest.” Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are inconsistent as well. These problems sometimes make the relationships between figures harder to follow. Practise shorter, accurately punctuated comparisons before combining them into complex sentences.
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