Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-16

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 table illustrates the variation in number of population in New York and it’s five other different districts including Manhattan, Brooklyn, bronx, Queens and Staten Island between 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the number of population increased in New York, from 1800 to 2000. However, in Manhattan, the number of population fluctuated over the period of time. Conversely, in other districts, the number of population increased consistently with growing percentage.

By 1800, the number of population is new York was 79,216 and it increased significantly to 8,009,185 by 2000.

In 1800, the number of population in Manhattan was 60,515, with a percentage of 76%. As the number of population increased in 1900, which was 1,850,093, the percentage fell down. By 2000 the percentage dropped down to 1,538,096, with a percentage of 19%.

In other districts, including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, the percentage of population increased with rose in number of population. In 1800, the number of population was 18,701, with 24% total population. It rose dramatically to 6,47,089 and reached 81% of the total population by 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts, which are central features of the tables. However, the account is incomplete and some figures are misreported or confused. You omit the 1900 and 2000 city totals, and the Manhattan description gives its 2000 population as though it were the percentage; the correct population is 1,538,096, while 19% is its share. The other-district figure for 2000 is also written as 6,47,089 rather than 6,471,089. In addition, Manhattan did not fluctuate: its population rose to 1900 and then fell. Include all three years accurately and make the overview more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the city and district groups. This makes the main comparisons reasonably easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall” and “Conversely” help signal the organisation, and the sequence generally follows the years. However, some connections are unclear or mechanical. For example, “As the number of population increased in 1900, which was…” leaves the relationship between the figure and the sentence awkward, while the final paragraph repeats the same population-and-percentage pattern. Group the figures by year or clearly contrast Manhattan with the other districts, and use references such as “its share” only when the referent is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “total population,” “increased significantly,” and “rose dramatically,” so the reader can understand the general trends. However, the range is limited and several repeated or inaccurate expressions reduce precision. “Number of population” is not a natural collocation; use “population” or “population size.” “Fluctuated” is also unsuitable because Manhattan’s population first rose and then declined, rather than varying repeatedly. The phrase “percentage dropped down to 1,538,096” confuses a population figure with a share, and “with rose in number” is unclear. Choose precise verbs such as “accounted for,” “grew,” and “declined,” and check spelling and capitalisation of district names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including “As the number of population increased in 1900…” and the contrast introduced by “Conversely.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors and awkward sentence construction remain. For example, “between 1800 to 2000” uses the wrong preposition pattern; write “between 1800 and 2000.” In “By 1800, the number of population is new York was…,” the verb form and sentence structure are faulty; use “In 1800, New York’s population was…”. The clause beginning “As…” is also incomplete or poorly attached to the following information. Review articles, verb tense consistency, and sentence boundaries, while keeping some complex structures.

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