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 charts below illustrates the changes in total population of New York and the five districts of the city from 1800 to 2000.

Firstly, we will discuss the population of New York. In 1800, the population of New York was 79,216. Gradually, it increased to 3,437,202 within 100 years and then, in 2000, the population rised to 8,009,185.

Secondly, we will show the numbers of population in different cities like Manhattan, Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,States Island. In Manhattan, the population was 60,515 in 1800 which was 76% of the total population. On the other hand, rest of cities population were 18,701 which was 24% of the population in all over New York. Then in 1900, the population of manhattan was 1,850,093 which was 54% of the total population and rest of the cities were 1,587,109 which was 46%. Lastly, after 100 years, the population of Manhattan decreased to 19% only which was 1,538,096 and rest of the cities increased to 81% which was 6,471,089.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report the main figures accurately, including the city’s growth from 79,216 to 8,009,185 and Manhattan’s changing share from 76% to 19%. You also make the important comparison that the other four districts became the larger population group by 2000. However, the response mainly lists figures in chronological order rather than clearly summarising the key patterns. In particular, it does not give a concise overview of the contrasting trends: Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 and then fell, while the other districts grew substantially. The opening also refers to “charts” and “different cities,” although the information is presented in tables and the named places are districts. A clearer overview and more selective comparisons would make the main features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence: it first describes the total population, then compares Manhattan with the other districts across the three years. Paragraphing helps distinguish these two topics, and linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Then,” and “Lastly” make the chronology easy to follow. However, these transitions are somewhat mechanical, and the repeated “population was” pattern makes the report read like a list of data. Some references are also imprecise, particularly “rest of cities,” which requires the reader to infer that it means the other four districts. Grouping the figures around the main contrast—Manhattan’s declining share versus the other districts’ rising share—would create smoother progression and stronger cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for reporting figures, including “increased,” “decreased,” “total population,” and “percentage,” so the data is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task. “Different cities” is not precise because Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island are districts, while “numbers of population” and “rest of cities population” are awkward collocations. “Rised” is an incorrect word form, and “States Island” is a spelling error. Repeated use of “population” also makes the description less varied. More precise terms such as “districts,” “share,” and “accounted for” would help you describe the comparisons more naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the figures using a mixture of simple statements and some longer clauses, for example, “In Manhattan, the population was 60,515 in 1800 which was 76% of the total population.” Most of the information remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. The opening has subject–verb disagreement in “The charts below illustrates,” and the sentence about Manhattan needs punctuation or a relative pronoun before “which.” The phrase “rest of cities were” also lacks a determiner, while “the population rised” contains an incorrect verb form. Sentence patterns are mostly repetitive, with limited control of more varied comparisons. Check agreement, articles, and clause punctuation, and practise accurate comparative structures such as “whereas” and “compared with.”

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