Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 provided tabels illustrates the information of changes in the total population of New York City, as well as the percentage of population other five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, it is evident that there is a trend of drastic increase poplation in New York City and other disticts namely Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island over two decades. Whereas the percentage of population in Manhattan decreased in 2000.

Initially, in 1800 the city had the 79,216 pople, Manhattan contributed 76% of the total population, and 24% was contributed by other districts. In 1900, the ratios of Manhattan decreased to 54% while the number of residence in city increased to 3,437,202 and also the ratios in other districts increased to 46%.

Further more, In 2000 we can observe that there is a drastic growth in population in city which reached to 8,009,185 and the inhabitance in other district also increased to 81%. In contrast, the percentage of total population in Manhattan came down to 19%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages and report several key figures accurately: the city grows from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, while Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19% and the other districts’ share rises to 81%. The overview identifies these broad trends, so the response addresses the task. However, some details are less fully reported: Manhattan’s population itself rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000, a notable contrast with the city’s continuing growth. Also, “over two decades” misstates the 1800–2000 period, and the overview could distinguish population totals from percentage shares more clearly. Include the missing population comparison to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and chronological paragraphs covering 1800–1900 and 2000. This gives the reader a generally logical progression, and transitions such as “Initially,” “In 1900,” and “In contrast” help signal comparisons. The overview also prepares the reader for the main trends. To make the organisation more effective, group related figures more precisely and avoid linking unlike measures in the same sentence—for example, distinguish the city’s total population from each district group’s percentage share. “Further more” is an awkward transition, and the opening overview’s “Whereas” creates a fragment-like contrast. More controlled linking and clearer references would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “contributed,” “percentage,” “drastic growth,” and “inhabitance,” and the main trends remain understandable. However, the range and control are limited by repeated or inaccurate choices. “Ratios” is not the right term for population shares here; “proportions” or “shares” is more precise. “Inhabitance” is also unnatural in this context, while “residents” or “population” would be clearer. Several spelling errors, including “tabels,” “poplation,” “disticts,” and “pople,” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for a smaller set of precise demographic terms, and check spelling and word forms carefully. This would make the report more natural and easier to read.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex forms, including the opening clause “The provided tables illustrate…” and the contrast introduced by “Whereas.” However, control is inconsistent, and some sentence structures are faulty. The overview’s “Whereas the percentage … decreased” is not a complete sentence when separated from the preceding statement. In “there is a trend of drastic increase,” the article and noun construction are not well controlled, and “the city had the 79,216 people” uses an unnecessary article. There are also problems with agreement and phrasing, such as “the ratios … decreased” when referring to a share. Use complete sentences and check articles, agreement, and tense patterns; clearer sentence boundaries would improve accuracy.

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