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 gives information about the transformation of overall residents of New York from 1800 to 2000, while the other illustrates the shifts in the citizens across five districts ( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) during the same years.
Overall, the population has significantly increased over the period while the population of Manhattan has a lowest percentage. In addition, the other districts accounted for the largest share than Manhattan.
In 1800, the overall citizenship was about 79,216 it had shown a sharped increase by the following years and reach its peak about 8,009,185 by 2000. Population of Manhattan accounted for the highest among the other districts at about 76% while the population of other districts hit 1,587,109 at 46% lower than the Mnahattan. In addition, the population of others districts reached it's maximum point by 2000 about 6,471,089 at 81% where Manhattan records it's minimum population of 1,538,069 at only 19%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the changing balance between Manhattan and the other districts, which are central features of the tables. However, coverage is partial and some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate. For example, the response says the other districts’ 1900 population was “lower than” Manhattan’s, but 1,587,109 is indeed lower than 1,850,093; the comparison would be clearer if both figures and their shares were stated accurately. The 2000 Manhattan figure is also given as 1,538,069 rather than 1,538,096. The overview’s claim that Manhattan had “a lowest percentage” is imprecise, and the response omits the 1900 total. Select the key changes and report them precisely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with figures. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the final paragraph is difficult to follow because figures from different years and categories are crowded together, and the comparison between Manhattan and the other districts is not clearly signposted. Linking phrases such as “In addition” are repeated without always showing a distinct relationship. Organise the details chronologically or compare the two population groups across each year, and use clearer references such as “By contrast” or “By 2000” where appropriate. This would make the relationships between the figures easier to track.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You attempt a range of task-related vocabulary, including “overall residents,” “accounted for,” “share,” and “maximum point.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise, which limits clarity: “overall citizenship” does not mean total population, and “sharped increase” is not a suitable collocation. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “Mnahattan” and “it's” where the possessive “its” is needed. Prefer standard demographic terms and straightforward collocations rather than forcing less familiar expressions. More accurate choices would help you describe the data clearly while retaining some variety in vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast between Manhattan and the other districts. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries, and articles make some statements difficult to read. For example, “it had shown a sharped increase … and reach its peak” shifts awkwardly between verb forms, while “In 1800, the overall citizenship was about 79,216 it had shown…” joins two clauses without suitable punctuation or a connector. The overview phrase “has significantly increased” also uses a present perfect form for a period ending in 2000. Build accurate short sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses and consistent past-tense reporting.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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