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 compare the total population of the New york city with the growing population across five districts of the city for the specific three centuries.Overall, the total population of New York city along with all the districts experienced a dramatic increase throughout the period.However,among the five districts of New York city, only Manhattan showed a considerable decrease in population.Additionally, the population in other districts of the cities continued to rise steadily for the three centuries.

Initially,the cumulative population of the New York city was around a figure of 79,216 which significantly climbed to 3,437,202 in 1900.By 2000, the population of the city had reached to 8,009,185 approximately.

In 1800, nearly,76 % of the total population lived in Manhattan but this

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall contrast: the city’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share declined and the other districts’ share increased. The total figures for 1800, 1900 and 2000 are reported accurately, and the overview is relevant. However, the response ends mid-sentence after “but this,” so the district comparison is not completed; it also omits the key figures showing Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000, while the other districts grew to 6,471,089. The response is 122 words, below the required 150, which leaves important information under-developed. Complete the comparison and report the major changes across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph beginning to describe the figures. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However” and “Additionally” help signal the main points. Nevertheless, the progression is incomplete because the final paragraph stops at “but this,” leaving the comparison unfinished and the reader without a concluding account of the district data. Some connections are also imprecise: “the total population … along with all the districts experienced a dramatic increase” blurs the distinction between the city total and the populations of individual districts. Organise the body into clear comparisons—for example, Manhattan versus the combined other districts—and use complete sentences to carry each comparison through.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “cumulative population,” “dramatic increase,” “considerable decrease” and “steadily,” which allows you to describe trends rather than merely list figures. Some choices are less natural or precise, however. “Growing population across five districts” does not clearly express the comparison in the tables, and “for the specific three centuries” is inaccurate because the data cover three years across two centuries. “Reached to” is also an awkward collocation, while repeated use of “population” makes the wording less varied. Aim for precise terms such as “combined population,” “share,” “rose to” and “over the period,” while retaining the useful trend vocabulary you already demonstrate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “However” and the time clause “By 2000.” The main ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors reduce control. For example, “the population … had reached to 8,009,185 approximately” has an incorrect verb pattern and awkward placement of the adverb; “only Manhattan showed a considerable decrease” also needs a clearer time reference, since its population first increased and then fell. There are missing spaces after punctuation and inconsistent capitalisation in “New york city.” The final sentence is incomplete, which also prevents the structure from being assessed fully. Practise accurate verb patterns and check sentence boundaries, capital letters and punctuation.

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