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 above mentioned tables provides us with the data about the population of the big city is USA and that is New York in between 1800 to 2000, while the second and third table as mentioned provide us with the proportion of percentages of total population in New York city's Manhattan as compared to other four districts mutually.

The total population of New York was around 80 thousand in 1800, then we saw a massive increased in overall population of New York of above 4 times then it was in 1800 in next 100 years mean population almost rosed to 350 thousand, again in next 100 years the overall population doubles to 8000 thousands in the year 2000.

Comparing the data between Manhattan with other 4 districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island), we see in the year 1800 Manhattan alone had a percentage share of 76% in overall New York city population with 24% shared by other mentioned districts with a number of people living up to 18,701 on the other hand 60,515 for Manhattan, then in 1900 we saw a massive decrease to 54% for New York and 46% for other districts with population of 1,850,093 and 1,587,109 respectively. Again in 2000 we saw a massive dip for Manhattan dropping down to only 19% of total population of New York and 81% for other 4 districts mutually with 1,538,069 number of people in Manhattan and 6,471,089 people in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten island all together.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main changes across the three years and make relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts. The shift in Manhattan’s share from 76% to 54% and then 19%, alongside the other districts’ rise to 81%, is a useful central feature. However, the overview is not clearly separated or fully accurate: the total population rose from about 79,000 to 3.44 million in 1900 and 8.01 million in 2000, not to “350 thousand” and “8000 thousands.” The claim that it “doubles” in the final century also understates the increase. There is another numerical slip in the 2000 Manhattan figure, given as 1,538,069 rather than 1,538,096. Select the key trends accurately and state them clearly before adding supporting figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows a generally sensible order: it introduces the tables, describes the citywide population, and then compares Manhattan with the other districts. Time markers such as “in 1800,” “then in 1900,” and “Again in 2000” help readers follow the chronology. However, the opening sentence is overloaded, and the long final paragraph combines several comparisons and figures in one sentence, making the information harder to process. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “then” and “again,” while “on the other hand” does not clearly signal the relationship between the figures. Use a distinct overview paragraph and group the data into shorter, clearly connected comparisons to make the progression more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “percentage share,” “overall,” and “dropping down,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “massive increase” and “massive dip.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a formal report: “big city is USA,” “proportion of percentages,” and “mutually” do not express the intended ideas clearly. Repeating “massive” also limits precision, and “doubles” is not an appropriate description of the final population change. Aim for concise, conventional reporting language and choose verbs that accurately describe the size and direction of changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons linked with “while” and “with,” and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, some errors in agreement, articles, tense, and sentence construction reduce accuracy. For example, “tables provides” should have a plural verb, while “the population of the big city is USA” has an unclear grammatical structure. The sentence beginning “Comparing the data…” becomes difficult to control as several clauses and figures are joined together. There are also awkward tense shifts, such as “we see” alongside past-time descriptions. Build shorter sentences around one comparison at a time, check subject–verb agreement, and use past forms consistently when reporting the historical data.

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