Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 tables given display different things; the first table shows the changes in the total population of New York City ranging from 1800 to 2000, whereas the other two tables show the changes which took place in the population of the five districts of the city over the same period of time.

Overall, the population increased immensely in New York City. In the 1800's, the population was under a hundred thousand, but then in 1900's it rose to millions. The rise in the population grew to a numerous amount over a hundred years. However, if we look at all the three periods, the population in the 2000's increased the most.

Focusing on Manhattan alone, it can be seen that in the 1800's the population was just above 60,000, in 1900's the population climbed up to a millions resulting in a population of 1,850,093, and lastly in the 2000's the population declined to 1,538,096.

Meanwhile, an increase in the population of the other districts can also be seen. If we shed light on all three periods separately, the population in 1800's was 18,701, in 1900's the population surged to millions leading to a population of 1,587,109, and finally in 2000's it escalated even more generating a population of 6,471,089. As a result, the population of Manhattan as compared to the other four districts was less.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and report several relevant figures, including the 2000 populations of Manhattan and the other districts. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not highlight the key contrast that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 and then fell, while the other districts continued to grow sharply. The statement that the population “increased the most” in 2000 is vague and does not explain this shift in distribution. Some comparisons are also unclear or inaccurate: Manhattan was larger than the combined other districts in 1800 and 1900, but much smaller by 2000, rather than simply “less” across the periods. Select the main trends and compare them explicitly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for Manhattan and the other districts. This helps the reader follow the subject matter. However, progression within the overview is weak, with repeated references to the three periods rather than a clear summary of the main changes. Linking phrases such as “Meanwhile,” “If we shed light,” and “As a result” are used, but some do not establish a precise logical relationship; the final comparison does not clearly follow from the preceding figures. Improve cohesion by grouping related trends and using direct comparisons, for example, contrasting Manhattan’s decline after 1900 with the continued growth elsewhere.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant population vocabulary, including “declined,” “surged,” and “escalated,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “population” and “increase,” while several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for a data report. “The rise in the population grew to a numerous amount” is unclear, and “climbed up to a millions” does not express the figure naturally. Phrases such as “shed light on all three periods separately” are also unnecessarily conversational. Aim for concise, accurate reporting language and vary terms where appropriate, such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “rose to.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and longer sentences, and most of the main information remains understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and number forms recur. For example, “in 1900’s” and “in 2000’s” use the decade form where you mean the year 1900 or 2000; “climbed up to a millions” has an incorrect article and plural; and “the population … was less” does not form a clear comparison. Some long sentences also become awkward because several clauses and phrases are joined together. Use accurate year expressions (“in 1900”) and construct comparisons with a clear subject and comparator, such as “Manhattan’s population was lower than that of the other districts in 2000.”

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