Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-25

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 tell us about changes in total population of New York from 1800 to 2000. The second table illutrates the contibution made by district Manhattan and last one tells us the weightage carried by other four districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island).

The population is increasing in New York from 1800 to 2000. In 1800, Manhattan carried more weightage in total population as compared to other four districts. There was not such a big difference in contribution made by only single and other districts in 1900. But in 2000, four districts carried more weightage as compared to Manhattan.

In 1800, population of New York was 79,216 and only Manhattan carried 60,515

and rest of population was in other districts.In 1900, population of New York was 3,437,202, Manhattan had 54% of total population and other districts had 46%. In 2000, New York had 8,009,185 in total, a much bigger proportion(6,471,089) of this was in other four districts and Manhattan carried 1,538,096 people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall changes: New York’s population rose substantially, and Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share increased. The figures you give for the city total and district populations are accurate, and the comparison between Manhattan’s dominance in 1800 and the other districts’ dominance by 2000 is relevant. However, the overview is brief and some key detail is underdeveloped: Manhattan’s population actually peaked in 1900 before declining by 2000, a notable contrast with the continuing citywide growth. Also, the opening description mislabels the final group as including Manhattan, although it consists of the other four districts. A clearer overview and more explicit reporting of the changing percentages would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the tables, gives an overview, and then reports figures for 1800, 1900 and 2000. This makes the main comparisons reasonably easy to follow. However, the first paragraph is confusing because it calls the other districts “(Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island),” even though Manhattan is reported separately. The overview and detail paragraphs also repeat the same contrast in “weightage” without developing a smoother progression between population totals and shares. Some sentence boundaries are unclear, particularly “other districts.In 1900,” and the final paragraph would be easier to read if each year’s figures were grouped consistently. Use clearer paragraphing and linking to guide the reader through the comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary such as “total population,” “proportion,” “contribution,” and “districts,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are, however, noticeable spelling and word-choice problems that limit precision. “Illutrates” and “contibution” are misspelled, while “weightage” is not a natural choice for describing a population share; “share” or “proportion” would be more appropriate. “Carried” is also repeated and sounds awkward in phrases such as “Manhattan carried 60,515.” The opening phrase “the weightage carried by other four districts” is cumbersome. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and vary your reporting verbs, for example, “accounted for,” “represented,” and “stood at.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons and clauses such as “In 2000, New York had 8,009,185 in total, a much bigger proportion … of this was in other four districts.” The intended meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems remain. “The first table tell us” needs subject–verb agreement (“tells”), and “other four districts” requires “the other four districts.” In the final sentence, the comma joins two independent clauses, so use a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction. There are also missing spaces after full stops, as in “districts.In 1900.” More controlled sentence boundaries, articles, and agreement would improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at varied structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.