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 tables provide data on population changes of New York city and its five districts over a period of 200 years from 1800 to 2000. Overall, the population in all five districts-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island increased significantly in the last century except for Manhattan.

According to the first table,population in New York city was 79,216 in 1800 which increased to 3,427,202 in 1900. The pouplation surged to 8,009,185 in the last century increasing more that two-fold.

In Manhattan the biggest change in percentage was observed in 1800 of 76% of population 60,515. The least change in percentage was observed in 1800 of a mere 19% compared to previous 54% in the year 1900.

The population increased in all the other four districts of New York City. In 1800 the population was 18,701 which was 24% of total population and increased to 46% in 1900. the maximum change was observed in 2000 where a drastic increase of 81% is recorded.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the overall population growth and the contrasting pattern for Manhattan, and you include several relevant figures. However, the response only partly reports the tables’ main features: it does not clearly explain that Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000, while the other districts grew to 6,471,089. Some statements misread the data: 19% is Manhattan’s share in 2000, not a “change,” and 81% is the other districts’ share, not a population increase. The 1900 city total is also given inaccurately as 3,427,202 rather than 3,437,202. A more precise overview and accurate comparisons across all three years would make the summary more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by information about the city total, Manhattan, and the other districts. This gives the reader a basic structure, and phrases such as “According to the first table” help signal a shift. However, the progression is weakened by unclear comparisons and by treating percentage shares as changes, so the relationship between the figures is not always easy to follow. The overview also says all districts increased “except for Manhattan,” without clarifying that Manhattan’s population first rose and then declined. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each population figure to its corresponding percentage and year; consistent paragraphing would also improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “increased,” “surged,” and “drastic increase.” These choices make the general subject clear, and you attempt some variation rather than relying entirely on basic terms. However, several expressions are imprecise for describing the data: “biggest change in percentage” and “least change in percentage” should refer to the districts’ shares, while “maximum change” does not accurately describe the 81% figure. There are also spelling errors, including “pouplation,” and some awkward phrasing such as “in the last century” when referring to the period from 1900 to 2000. Choose precise terms such as “share,” “proportion,” and “population declined.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, for example, “The population in New York city was 79,216 in 1800 which increased to…” This shows an attempt to combine information, and the main meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain, however. The relative clause in that example needs clearer punctuation, and “the population in New York city” would be more naturally framed with an article and consistent capitalisation. The sentence beginning “In Manhattan the biggest change…” is difficult to interpret because its structure does not clearly connect the year, population, and percentage. There are also inconsistent sentence starts, such as the lowercase “the maximum change.” Use complete, clearly structured comparisons and check punctuation around clauses.

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