Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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 illustrates changes in the total population of NewYork City between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables display population changes in all five districts in NewYork City in the same time period.

Overall, the total population in all five districts in NewYork City increased over the time span. Manhattan was the most populated districts among those five districts of NewYork .

In the first table, the total population in all five districts was 79,216 in 1800, which was the lowest of all time. After the population continued to grow, it reached the value of 3,437,202 in 1900. And, at last, the population reached 8,009,185 in 2000.

In the second table, the total percentage of Manhattan was 76%, whereas the total population was 60,515 in 1800. The population continued to grow, reaching the value of 18,850,093, whereas the proportion decreased by 22% in 1900. Similarly, the total population started to fall and reached 1,538,096 in 2000, while the percentage decreased by 35% in total.

In the third table, the total population of all four districts was 18,701 in 1800, and the percentage was 24% in total. The population then started to grow larger and reached 1,587,109 in total , whereas, the total percentage increased by its double value than the other year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and include several relevant figures, but the response reports the tables incompletely and contains a major data error: Manhattan’s 1900 population was 1,850,093, not 18,850,093. The overview also says Manhattan was the most populated district, which is not supported for 2000; by then the other four districts together had 6,471,089 people compared with Manhattan’s 1,538,096. The final table discussion stops at 1900, omitting the important 2000 figure and the shift to 81% of the city’s population outside Manhattan. The overview should summarise both the city’s growth and the changing distribution between Manhattan and the other districts, with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the total population and district data. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. However, the progression is incomplete because the final paragraph ends with the 1900 figures and does not report the 2000 data for the other districts. Some linking is mechanical or unclear, such as “And, at last” and “Similarly,” which does not clearly signal the contrast between Manhattan’s falling population after 1900 and the continued growth elsewhere. References such as “the other year” are also vague. Grouping the district figures by year or explicitly contrasting Manhattan with the combined other districts would create clearer connections and a more complete progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a sufficient range of basic reporting language, including “increased,” “reaching,” “proportion,” and “whereas,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several phrases are repetitive or imprecise for describing statistical data. “The population continued to grow larger” is awkward, while “the total percentage increased by its double value than the other year” does not clearly express the change. “The lowest of all time” is also less suitable than a precise comparison across the years shown. There are spelling and presentation slips in “NewYork,” and repeated use of “total” adds little meaning. Aim for accurate collocations such as “the population rose to” and “accounted for,” and use concise comparisons rather than repeating “total population.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “whereas” and “which,” and most of the main relationships can be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in agreement and sentence construction. For example, “Manhattan was the most populated districts” mismatches singular subject and plural complement; “After the population continued to grow, it reached…” uses an awkward clause structure; and “the total percentage increased by its double value than the other year” is not grammatically well formed. Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, as in “total , whereas,” and the sentence beginning “And, at last” is not smoothly connected. Practise forming clear comparisons with accurate clauses, for example, “Manhattan’s share fell, while the other districts’ share rose.”

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