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 preasents how the the population of New York City has changed from 1800 to 2000. While, the third and the second illustrates population of five other districts in the same time period.

Overall, the population of New York has gone through a significant changes in the mentioned time period. However in the begainig Manhattan occupied the large portion of New York's total population but over the time other five districts population had a mejor growrth in there population, which eventually surpassad the Manhttha's ocupiaied portions.

In 1800, New York's population was the least among the three years, which was only 79216 people. Manhattan had the most people living their, having 76% of total populaton (60515). Other districts had 18701 people, occuping 24% of all population.

After 100 years in 1900 New York's population was grown to about four times, which is [redacted phone] in numbers. Manhattan population also had a growth along with other four districts. Manhattan had [redacted phone] and other districts had [redacted phone] people. They occupied 54% and 46% respectively.

In the year 2000, population had it's peak, which was [redacted phone] people. Other districts population had a substantional growth about three times then preveies time, having a population of [redacted phone] which is 81% of total population. However, Manhattan population had a fall, which came down to [redacted phone] people which is 19% of the total. Until the year 1900 most of the people lived in Manhattan but in 2000 mejority of the population was from Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and make the key comparison clear: Manhattan held the largest share in 1800 and 1900, while the other districts together dominated by 2000. The figures you report are generally accurate, and the overview identifies the shift in population distribution. This meets the task well, with some features more fully reported than others. However, the claim that the other districts’ population grew “about three times” from 1900 to 2000 is inaccurate: it rose from 1,587,109 to 6,471,089, or just over four times. Also, the opening description of the tables is confusing, and the final reference to the boroughs could be more precise because the table groups them together rather than giving individual figures. Check comparisons carefully and keep the overview concise and exact.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and chronological paragraphs for 1800, 1900 and 2000. This makes the data easy to follow, and transitions such as “After 100 years” and “In the year 2000” help signal the stages. However, some linking is mechanical or unclear. The opening sentence, “While, the third and the second illustrates…,” is not a complete, well-connected contrast, and “However” is used repeatedly without always marking a clear contrast. The overview also contains several ideas in one sentence, making the population shift harder to follow. Use more precise referencing and vary transitions, while keeping each paragraph focused on one comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “occupied,” “growth,” and “majority,” and terms such as “substantial” show an attempt to describe scale. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause: “preasents,” “begainig,” “mejor,” “surpassad,” and “occupiaied” are examples. Some collocations are also unnatural, such as “had a fall” and “population was grown.” Repetition of “population” and “districts” limits flexibility. Aim to use accurate, conventional expressions for trends and shares, and proofread spelling carefully; a wider range is useful only when the words are correctly formed and naturally combined.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “However” and “which,” and the main figures are usually expressed in understandable sentence patterns. Nevertheless, errors occur across sentence construction and verb forms. For example, “While, the third and the second illustrates” is an incomplete clause with faulty punctuation and subject–verb agreement, while “the population of New York has gone through a significant changes” has an article and number-agreement problem. “New York’s population was grown” also uses an incorrect verb form, and “Manhattan population” needs a possessive determiner. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the overall account, but they reduce accuracy. Practise complete clause structures and check agreement, articles and verb forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.