Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 illustrates the total population changes in New York City in the period between 1800 and 2000, while the second and third tables give information about changes in five districts' population, mainly for Manhattan in the second table, and other districts in the last table. The last two tables have population numbers and the proportion of total population measured in percentages.

Overall, New York City's population rose throughout the two hundred years. Likewise, some of its districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) increased in both population size and the precentage of total population. However, Manhattan had fluctuations in this period.

Firstly, in 1800, New York City had 79,216 population which consisted of 60,515 in Manhattan, and 18,701 in other districts. Going forward, 3,437,202 was the population in New York in 1900 which was a considerable jump compared with the previous recorded year. Finally, New York City reached around 8 billion in population size which is more than double the amount of population in 1900.

New York City's districts had some similar changes in population, for example, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, all combined faced a population boom starting from 18,701 in 1800 with 24% of New York population, to approximetly 1.5 million with 46% of total population, and finally stayed at about 6.4 million with 81% of total population.

On the other hand, Manhattan a population precentage decrease between 1900 and 2000 from 54% to only 19%. Additionally, the population had a significant fall from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall pattern: the city’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share declined and the other districts’ share increased. Several figures are reported accurately, including the 1800 and 1900 totals and Manhattan’s 2000 population. However, important data are misreported: the city reached about 8 million in 2000, not “8 billion,” and the combined population of the other districts in 1900 was about 1.59 million, not approximately 1.5 million as a progression to 46% suggests only loosely. The overview also says Manhattan had “fluctuations,” although the figures show growth to 1900 followed by a decline. Develop the comparisons more precisely and ensure each figure is matched to its year and category.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the city total and district comparisons. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “Going forward,” and “Finally” help signal chronology, and “On the other hand” introduces a relevant contrast. However, some links are mechanical, and the progression within the district paragraph is difficult to follow because the figures and percentages are compressed into one long sentence. The reference to “the second and third tables” is also awkward given the information is presented as two visuals. Improve cohesion by grouping each time point clearly and using precise references such as “the combined population of the four other districts.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related language, including “considerable jump,” “population boom,” “proportion,” and “significant fall,” which helps describe change and comparison. However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural: “had fluctuations” does not accurately describe Manhattan’s rise and subsequent decline, while “stayed at about 6.4 million” suggests no change despite describing the 2000 figure. There are also noticeable spelling errors in “precentage” and “approximetly,” and repeated use of “population” makes parts of the response less fluent. Choose more exact trend vocabulary and check spelling; for example, describe Manhattan as having “peaked in 1900 before declining.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “while,” “which,” and “although,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in sentence construction and articles. For example, “had 79,216 population” needs a more natural structure such as “had a population of 79,216,” and “Manhattan a population precentage decrease” is missing a verb and has an incomplete sentence structure. The phrase “which is more than double” also shifts tense within a past-period description. Work on complete clauses, article use, and consistent past-tense reporting, while retaining the complex sentence attempts.

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