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 given tables illustrates the changes in the total population of New York City and it's five districts from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, an increase in the population of NYC is recorded over the period between 1800 and 2000. A notable increase is also seen in the total population of it's five districts over the same period.

In NYC, the total population was recorded as 76,216 in the year 1800, and it peaked at 8,009,185 in 2000. The five districts of the city also showed an increase in the population in the years between 1800 and 2000. Manhattan had o 60,515, which covered 76% of total population in 1800. In 2000, it's population crossed 1.5 million in number, comprising only 16% of total population of the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and note Manhattan’s changing share, but the report is only partial and leaves major comparisons unexplained. The 1800 total is misreported as 76,216 rather than 79,216, and Manhattan’s 2000 share is given as 16% instead of 19%. The tables also show that Manhattan’s population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000, while the other four districts grew to 6,471,089 and 81% of the total; these key trends are omitted. The overview repeats the general increase without identifying this shift. The response is 118 words, below the 150-word minimum, and needs fuller, accurate coverage of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with figures. This gives the reader a general route through the information, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In 2000” help signal movement between points. However, the progression is limited because the report stops after discussing Manhattan and does not compare the 1900 figures or the other districts. The overview also repeats the idea of population growth rather than previewing the most important contrast. To improve, organise the body around the overall totals and then the changing distribution between Manhattan and the other districts, using clear comparisons to connect the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable reporting language, including “recorded,” “comprising,” and “covered …%,” and the vocabulary is generally relevant to describing population data. However, the range is limited and several expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “crossed 1.5 million in number” and “a notable increase is also seen in the total population of it’s five districts.” Repetition of “population,” “increase,” and “total” also makes the account less flexible. Aim for concise, conventional data-reporting phrases such as “rose to,” “accounted for,” and “the share declined.” Check apostrophe use in “its”: it is possessive, whereas “it’s” means “it is.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt a passive construction in “A notable increase is also seen,” but the range is narrow and errors recur. The opening has subject–verb disagreement: “The given tables illustrates” should be “The given tables illustrate.” In “an increase … is recorded,” the tense is inconsistent with the past period; use “was recorded” or “increased.” The sentence “Manhattan had o 60,515” contains an apparent typing error that disrupts the structure, and “which covered 76% of total population” needs an article (“the total population”). The final sentence is understandable, but the report would benefit from accurate past-tense forms and a wider range of controlled comparison structures.

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