Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-22

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 the variation in the population of New York city between 1800 and 2000 while the second and the third table demonstrate the population changes of the five districs of the cities( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) during the same period.

Overall, it is clear that New York a city of all five districts has the maximum population in 2000 that were the minimum in 1800 and icreased slightly in 1900.

The percentage of Manhattan was 76% in 1800 while other cities have 24% population. This percentage increased in 1900. The total population in Manhattan was 54% and other cities have 46% population. In 2000, this percentage dramatically declined in Manhattan. Although the population in Manhattan was 19%, other cities recorded 81% population.

In 1800, New York ( all five district) recorded 79,216 numbers of people. In 1900, this population increased from 79,216 to 3,437,202. In 2000, this number reached to 8,009,185.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern that New York’s population grew substantially and that Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose. The figures you give for the city total and the percentages in each year match the tables. However, the overview is unclear: saying the population “increased slightly in 1900” understates the rise from 79,216 to 3,437,202, and “maximum” and “minimum” do not clearly explain the overall trend. The response also gives no district population figures, including the important fact that Manhattan’s population itself fell between 1900 and 2000 while the other districts grew sharply. Develop the key comparisons more fully and distinguish changes in population totals from changes in percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs covering the district shares and city totals. This gives the reader some organisation. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the overview’s “increased slightly in 1900” conflicts with the much larger increase described later, and the final paragraph repeats the total-population figures without adding a comparison. Linking phrases such as “while,” “Although,” and “In 2000” help connect some points, but references like “this percentage” are not always precise about whether they refer to Manhattan’s share or the other districts’ share. Organise the body around the main trends and use explicit references to make each comparison easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “declined,” and “recorded,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing data. “Increased slightly” does not convey the scale of the rise, “other cities” incorrectly refers to the other districts, and “reached to” and “79,216 numbers of people” are awkward collocations. There are also spelling errors in “districs” and “icreased,” and inconsistent capitalisation of “New York City.” Use precise terms such as “districts,” “share,” “rose sharply,” and “population total,” and check spelling and collocation when describing figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “Although” and a time clause beginning “while.” The main information can usually be understood, but errors in sentence structure and agreement recur. For example, “New York … has the maximum population in 2000 that were the minimum in 1800” combines clauses awkwardly and has an unclear pronoun reference; “other cities have 24% population” also uses an unsuitable verb form and article pattern. The opening sentence has a long, difficult-to-control structure, with missing spaces around the parenthesis. Aim for shorter, complete comparisons, and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and clause connections. More accurate control of these patterns would make your data descriptions clearer.

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