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)

In this chart, the information is depicted about the changes of total population of new york city in mentioned three years whereas second as well as third table also shown changes in the population in same years as first table but mentioned information about different districts that are properly mentioned in table chart.

Overall, in New York City the highest population is highlighted in the year 2000. Instead of, the least percentile of total. population is depicted in the year 2000 and 1800 in different districts.

At the fleeting glance, in the year 1800, the population of New York City is least than other two mentioned years which is 79,216. Besides this, the population in the year 1900,2000 is increased than first year which is inclined at 3,437,202 and 8,009,185.

Further more, in manhattan the percentile of total. population is at the peak level. in the year 1800,which is 76% .In the following years, the percentage of total population is decreased and ends at 19% in the year 2000. In another four districts the opposite trend is followed the population percentile is decreased first that is 24% amd than all. population percentage is increased slowly and in the year 2000 it is 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall changes: the city’s population rises from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, while Manhattan’s share falls and the other districts’ share grows. These are relevant features and the figures you give are accurate. However, the overview is unclear in places, especially “the least percentile of total population,” and it does not clearly summarise the contrast between Manhattan’s changing population and the other districts’ growth. Some details are also under-developed: Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 at 1,850,093 before falling to 1,538,096, but this important change is omitted. State the main trends plainly, then select a few figures to support them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the city total and district shares. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression within paragraphs is not always clear, and several linking expressions are awkward or misleading. For example, “Instead of” does not clearly connect the overview’s ideas, while “Besides this” and “Further more” add little to the comparisons. The final paragraph also shifts between Manhattan and the other districts without clearly separating their trends. Use a concise overview followed by logically grouped comparisons, and choose connectors that express the intended relationship accurately.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary relevant to describing data, including “depicted,” “highlighted,” “peak level,” and “opposite trend.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise for this task, such as “the changes of total population,” “least percentile,” and “inclined at” when describing population figures. Repetition of “population,” “year,” and “percentage” also limits flexibility. These choices sometimes make the intended comparison harder to understand, even though the underlying trends are generally recognisable. Prefer standard data-reporting collocations and use precise terms such as “population share,” “rose,” “fell,” and “accounted for.” Check spelling and capitalisation, including “Manhattan” and “New York City.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can generally identify the intended trends. However, attempts to combine several ideas often produce faulty sentence structures. For example, “the information is depicted about the changes” has an awkward passive construction, and “the population in the year 1900,2000 is increased than first year” has problems with tense, comparison, and sentence formation. Punctuation and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in “in the year 1800,which” and “total. population.” Build clearer sentences with a subject and verb, use the past tense consistently for the historical data, and check articles, commas, and sentence boundaries.

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