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 given first table illustrates how the total population count in the New York City has changed over a period ranging from 1800 to 2000. At the same times, the second and third tables give a statistics about the changes in the poupulation during the same period.

Overall, it is clearly evident from the first table that the total population in the New York City shows an increasing trend from 1800 to 2000. In addition, Manhattan district shows an decreasing pattern and other four districts demonstrate a rising trend in terms of the change of population.

In 1800, the total population of the New York City was lowest and it was just below 80,000. However, after 200 years it increased sharply to over 8,000,000.

During 1800 although the percentage change was about 76% in Manhattan which was hogher conpared to the other four districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broadest trends accurately: the city’s population rose substantially, Manhattan’s share declined, and the other districts’ share increased. The figures “just below 80,000” and “over 8,000,000” are also reasonable summaries of the endpoints. However, the report is incomplete and addresses the tables only partially. It gives no figures for 1900, omits the key reversal in Manhattan’s population after 1900, and does not report the 2000 comparison between Manhattan and the other districts. The final sentence begins a comparison but is unfinished. The response also falls six words short of the required minimum. To improve, complete the comparison and support the overview with the main figures from all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a short detail paragraph. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In addition,” and “However” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited because the detail paragraph covers only the total population in 1800 and 2000, then shifts to an incomplete statement about Manhattan. The final sentence is unfinished, so the comparison is not connected to a complete explanation. Some references, such as “the second and third tables,” are understandable but do not guide the reader through the data. Organise the details chronologically or compare Manhattan with the other districts at each date, using complete sentences and clear links between the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “total population,” “increasing trend,” “decreasing pattern,” and “increased sharply,” which communicates the main direction of change. There is also some variation in how you describe the data. However, the range is limited, and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems reduce precision: “a statistics” is not idiomatic, “population count” is less natural here than “population,” and “hogher conpared” contains spelling errors. “Percentage change” is also inaccurate for the figures, which show each group’s share of the total. Aim for precise terms such as “proportion,” “accounted for,” and “population rose/fell,” and proofread carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, for example, “although the percentage change was about 76% in Manhattan…” and “after 200 years it increased sharply…”. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven. Examples include “in the New York City” and “At the same times,” where article and number forms are incorrect, and “Manhattan district shows an decreasing pattern,” which has an article error and an awkward tense shift. The final sentence is also incomplete, leaving the “although” clause without a main clause. Use past tense consistently for the historical data, check articles and agreement, and ensure every subordinate clause is attached to a complete sentence.

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