Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-24

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 table demonstrates the changes of total population in New York and five other districts in between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, The population of New York City has rises to around 100 times in 200 years. The proportion of other districts is also going upward . On the other hand, the percentage of Manhattan get decreased.

The population of New York including all 5 districts was only 79,216 in 1800; It get increased to 8,009,185 in the year 2000. The rising of population is sky rocketed. The other districts of New York has similar case in provided chart. The statistics of population in 1800 was 24% which rises to closely double in next 100 years. Then the last century was sharply upwards to 81%.

The analysis report of Manhattan is totally reverse. The population in 1800 was 76% and it decreased by 22% in a century. In 2000, the statistics nosedived to 19%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad trends accurately: the city’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share rose. The overview captures these contrasts, and you include relevant figures such as 79,216 and 8,009,185. However, some key details are unclear or misreported. The other districts’ figures of 24%, 46% and 81% are shares of the city total, not their population figures; describing 24% as the population and saying it “closely double[s]” obscures the actual change. You also omit the 1900 and 2000 population totals for Manhattan and the other districts. To strengthen the report, distinguish population counts from percentages and compare the main figures across all three years more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate discussion of the city, other districts and Manhattan. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression within the body paragraphs is uneven: the discussion moves between population counts and percentage shares without clearly signalling the change, which makes some comparisons difficult to follow. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “Then” are used, but the relationships between details are not always precise, and the overview repeats ideas later without adding much organisation. Grouping the data consistently by year or by population versus share, and using clear references such as “their share of the total,” would make the information easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing change, including “proportion,” “decreased,” “sharply upwards” and “nosedived.” These attempts show awareness of the language needed for a data report. However, several choices are inaccurate, informal or repetitive, and they sometimes make the meaning less clear. “The rising of population is sky rocketed” is an awkward and overly dramatic description, while “the statistics” is used where a specific population figure or share is needed. “Get decreased” and “similar case” are also unnatural collocations. Aim for precise, neutral reporting language and use terms such as “population,” “share” and “accounted for” consistently to distinguish counts from percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at more developed sentences, and the main message is generally recoverable. However, grammatical errors are frequent enough to affect clarity. Verb forms and agreement are often inaccurate: “has rises,” “it get increased,” and “the proportion … is also going upward” do not use the required forms consistently. There are also problems with articles, capitalization and sentence boundaries, as in “Overall, The population” and “1800; It get increased.” Some sentence patterns, such as “decreased by 22% in a century,” are understandable but need more controlled phrasing. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and check subject–verb agreement, articles and punctuation when editing.

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