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 three tables shows total population of New York city along the period from 1800 to 2000. first table estimated all the poppulation of the city However second and third tabuler system represents changes in the population of five districts of new york(Manhattan, Brookiyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island).

New York city population rises over this time line from 79216 to [redacted phone] and it also shows the most populated district of New York in all five districts 76% of the new york population in 1800 era but it falls down continously and it becames remain 19% of the population.in 2000.

Comparisly other four districts combinely occupied 24% of New York population in 1800 time period and from then it rises massively upto 81% in 2000.

Basically the tables shows massively increase and decrease of New Y ork population in five districts over the time period from 1800 to 2000 which is surprising changes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall trends: New York City’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the combined share of the other districts rose. The figures of 76% and 19%, and 24% and 81%, are consistent with the tables. However, the account is incomplete: it does not report the city’s 1900 population or explain that Manhattan’s population itself rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before declining to 1,538,096 in 2000. The phrase “most populated district” is also not supported by these tables, which give Manhattan and the other four districts combined rather than individual district figures. A clearer overview and more precise selection of key data would make the response more fully informative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from introducing the tables to describing the citywide trend and then comparing Manhattan with the other districts. This gives the reader a general sense of the information. However, the ideas are compressed into a few long paragraphs, and the final sentence repeats the broad trend rather than adding a distinct summary. Some links are unclear: “it also shows” does not clearly identify what “it” refers to, and “from then” leaves the comparison’s time point vague. Organise the response into a clear introduction, overview and detail paragraphs, and use precise references such as “Manhattan’s share” to make the relationships between figures easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “percentage,” and “rises,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “tabuler system,” “falls down,” “occupied 24%,” and “surprising changes.” Spelling errors, including “poppulation,” “Brookiyn,” and “continously,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for standard data-reporting language and check spelling carefully. For example, describe a share as “accounted for” a percentage, and use “increased” or “declined” for changes over time. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish population totals from proportions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a comparison between Manhattan and the other districts. However, grammatical control is uneven, and errors sometimes make relationships difficult to interpret. For example, “The three tables shows” has subject–verb disagreement, while “first table estimated all the population” lacks a clear, correctly formed verb phrase. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also problematic in “population.in 2000,” and several clauses run together without clear structure. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles and complete sentence patterns. Breaking longer ideas into shorter sentences, then checking verb forms and punctuation, would improve clarity while preserving some structural variety.

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