Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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 given tables illustrate the population of Newyork in different years and also compare what each district share in total population of newyork were in varied years.

Total population of newyork in year 1800 wa 79,216 and in that year Manhattan alone host 76% of total city population other four districts Brooklyn , Bronx , Queens, Staten make only 24% of city population.

In next 100 years by 1900 population of city grow exponential reach to 3 million plus inhabitants , By that year the change in districts population also happen , although Manhattan in terms of population was still dominant but it has fallen from its peak and now it make up only 54% of total populas in entire city and share of population in other districts rise rapidly reaching 46% .

When another hundered years pass the situation has been completely change ,Manhattan which once dominant now barely make 1/5 of total population of city and other districts which were once dominated by Manhattan in terms of population and inhabitants now make 81% of total city , overall entire population of city reach close to 6.5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main shift clearly: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share rises from 24% to 81%. You also report the 1800 and 1900 city totals broadly accurately. However, the overview is incomplete and some key figures are misreported: the city population in 2000 was about 8 million, not “close to 6.5 million” (that figure is the population of the other districts). Manhattan’s population did not fall from a peak before 1900; it increased from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900, then declined to 1,538,096. Include the overall growth across all three dates and distinguish population totals from percentage shares more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows a generally logical chronological order, moving from 1800 to 1900 and then 2000, and the paragraph breaks help separate the periods. Linking phrases such as “In next 100 years” and “When another hundred years pass” make the sequence easy to follow. However, the opening does not provide a clear overview, and some long sentences combine several comparisons, making the relationships harder to track. For example, the final sentence moves from Manhattan’s share to the other districts’ share and then to the city total without clearly separating these points. Use a concise overview after the introduction, then group the city totals and district comparisons in a more controlled way.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing change, including “share,” “dominant,” “fallen,” and “rise rapidly,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “host 76%,” “grow exponential,” “make up only 54%,” and “the situation has been completely change.” Spelling and word-form problems, including “Newyork,” “populas,” and “hundered,” also reduce precision. Aim for standard data-reporting expressions such as “accounted for,” “increased substantially,” and “declined to.” More accurate vocabulary would help you describe the figures without relying on broad or imprecise phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “although” and time expressions such as “When another hundred years pass.” However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to read. Examples include “population … grow,” “it make up,” and “the situation has been completely change”; these need forms such as “grew,” “it made up,” and “had completely changed.” Several sentences also run together or use commas where a full stop is needed, particularly in the 1900 paragraph. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and divide long comparisons into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences.

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