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 illustrates changes in total number of people living in Newyork from 1800 to 2000.The second and third table analyzes the change in the number of inhabitants of five districts including Manhattan,Bronx,Queens,Brooklyn and Staten Island during the same period.

Firstly,The population change in Newyork overs the years has been massive as it shows the number of inhabitants are dangerously increasing.Secondly,Manhattan shows an increase in the number of people and then there's a decrease.Thirdly, All other districts started from a very low number of inhabitants but now they are also increasing rapidly but still Newyork remains on top.

The total number of people living in Newyork in 1800 was almost 80k ,Which in 1900 became even more then the triple figure at about 350k.Furthermore,in 2000 the value rose upto 800k taking the lead from all other districts.As far as Manhattan is concerned the population growth was quite huge from 1800 to 1900 at aout 54% but after it the population started decreasing till the year 2000 by 19%.Talking about all the other districts such as Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and Staten Island the population was the lowest starting at amlost 19k but by year 1900 it rose upto 160k by 46% and in year 2000 the major growth turn occured by 81% with the population count of 650k.

In conclusion, New York still remains the most densely populated compared to all other districts even though their population is growing by quite a steady rate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad trends: the city’s population grew substantially, Manhattan rose and then fell, and the other districts gained population share. However, several figures and comparisons are inaccurate, which limits how fully the tables are reported. For example, the total in 1900 was about 3.44 million, not 350,000, and in 2000 it was about 8 million, not 800,000. The other districts reached about 6.47 million in 2000, rather than 650,000. The percentages are shares of the city total, not population growth rates: Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share rose from 24% to 81%. Also, the conclusion incorrectly says New York is more densely populated than the districts; the tables compare population, not density. Report the key figures accurately and give a concise overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to a summary, detailed figures and a conclusion. This gives the reader some organisation, and the comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts are relevant. However, progression is weakened by the repeated sequencing words “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Thirdly,” which do not clearly organise the data, and some links between ideas are confusing. For instance, “taking the lead from all other districts” is unclear because the total city population is being compared with individual districts. The final paragraph also repeats a broad claim rather than drawing together the main contrast. Group the information by time period or by Manhattan versus the other districts, and use linking phrases that make the comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “inhabitants,” “population growth,” “rose,” and “decrease,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or informal for an academic data summary. “Dangerously increasing” adds an unsupported judgement, while “taking the lead” and “major growth turn occurred” do not describe the figures naturally. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “Newyork,” “aout,” “amLost,” and “overs,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “population,” “accounted for,” “increased,” and “declined,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “which,” “but,” and “even though.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles and punctuation sometimes make the meaning harder to follow. For example, “The second and third table analyzes” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the number of inhabitants are dangerously increasing” mismatches the singular subject and verb. Several sentences run together without spaces after full stops, and capitalisation after commas is inconsistent. The sentence about Manhattan’s population “at about 54%” also has an unclear grammatical relationship between the figure and the change. Use shorter, accurately punctuated sentences and check agreement and how figures are attached to the claims they support.

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