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 first table illustrate the changes in the total number of citizens living in New York city- whereas the rest of the two table show the changes in the population of the five districts of the city(Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island) between 1800 and 2000.

Overall it can be clearly seen that New York City gained a massive number of individual living there over two centuary. Although manhattan had a substantial change in a first centuary but it gradually declined in 2000.

In 1800, the population of New York City was 79,216 where around three fourth of the population was from manhattan(76%). It drastically increased to 3,437,202 in a centuary and when another centurary came to an end it had already surpassed 800 thousands population.

Moreover, Manhattan had the highest population size(60,515) in 1800 compared to others. The population in Manhattan tripled by 1900 reaching 1,850,093 and other four also had a dramatic rise in their population. By 2000, individual living in other four district had reached its peak(6,471,089)- meanwhile, population in Manhattan had slightly decreased by about 300 thousands.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the shift from Manhattan toward the other districts, which are central features of the tables. You also include relevant figures for 1800 and 1900. However, the account is only partly accurate: the 2000 city total was 8,009,185, not “800 thousands,” and Manhattan’s population rose from 60,515 to 1,850,093 rather than tripling. The overview says Manhattan “gradually declined,” but its population first increased substantially and then fell by 2000; its share of the city’s total declined across both periods. Clarify these trends and compare the 1900 and 2000 figures accurately to make the main features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting figures. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and transitions such as “Overall,” “Moreover,” and “By 2000” help signal stages. However, progression is not consistently clear because the final paragraph moves between Manhattan and the other districts without a systematic comparison, while the overview’s description of Manhattan’s trend is unclear. Some linking is mechanical, and the long opening sentence is difficult to follow because of its punctuation and spacing. Organise the details by year or by population group, and use clearer references such as “the combined population of the other four districts” to make relationships easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “increased,” “declined,” “dramatic rise,” and “surpassed.” These choices communicate the general subject, but the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for an academic report. “Individual living there” and “individual living in other four district” are awkward substitutes for “residents” or “population,” while “population size” and “had reached its peak” do not describe the comparisons precisely. Spelling errors such as “centuary” and “centurary” are noticeable, and “800 thousands population” is not a natural numerical expression. Aim for accurate, neutral terms and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “Although” and a time clause beginning “when another century came to an end.” However, errors are frequent and sometimes make the relationships between ideas difficult to interpret. For example, “The first table illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the rest of the two table show” has problems with number and sentence construction. Articles and agreement are also inconsistent in “a first centuary” and “other four district had reached its peak.” The sentence beginning “In 1800” joins information with “where” in a way that does not fit the meaning. Practise accurate plural forms, verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.