Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-26

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 shows the amendments in the population of New York City over last two centuries from 1800 to 2000. The other of two tables shows the changes in the population in five various districts of the city.

The population of New York City aries from 79,216 in 1800 to almost 8,009,185 in 2000. It is the population increase in all the five districts combined.

firstly,we have Manhttan district which holds the highest percentage of total population in 1800 around 76% of all.In 1900 the number of population might increase to 1,850,093 but the overall percentage drops to 54%.But in 2000 despite the huge increasing population the overall percentage drops to its lower rate at only 19% on entire population.

Lastly,all the other four districts are disscused in the same table. In 1800 the population is around 18,701 which is only 24% of total percentage of the city.In 1900 there is a significant increase inpopulation which reaches to 1,587,109 and it holds almost 46% of the total city. But in 2000 we see a huge rise in population nearly 6,471,089 which holds around 81% of entire population of the NewYourk City.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You report the main population figures accurately and identify the key shift: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other four districts’ combined share rises from 24% to 81%. The response also notes the city’s substantial overall growth. These are relevant features and address the task, but the overview is not clearly separated or fully developed. In particular, the total population figure for 1900 (3,437,202) is omitted, and Manhattan’s absolute population change is not made explicit: it rises to 1,850,093 in 1900, then falls to 1,538,096 by 2000. A clearer overview comparing the overall growth with this later decline would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable order: it introduces the tables, discusses Manhattan, and then covers the other districts together. This gives the reader a basic progression through the information. However, the opening does not provide a clear overview, and the body paragraphs rely heavily on a repeated chronological pattern rather than grouping the most important comparisons. Connectors such as “firstly,” “Lastly,” and repeated “But” are somewhat mechanical, while the final paragraph is a long sequence of figures and comparisons. Improve cohesion by adding a concise overview after the introduction and using clearer links to contrast population totals with percentage shares. Check spacing after punctuation, which currently makes some transitions harder to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “percentage,” “significant increase,” “huge rise,” and “holds,” and the intended meaning is usually clear. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task: “amendments in the population” does not describe demographic change, and “the number of population” is an awkward collocation. “Overall percentage drops to its lower rate” is also imprecise, while “huge” is repeated instead of using more measured academic language. There are spelling errors, including “Manhttan,” “disscused,” and “NewYourk,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “population,” “share,” “accounted for,” and “declined,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main comparisons can generally be understood. However, control is uneven, particularly in sentence boundaries, articles, and verb forms. For example, “The population of New York City aries from…” has an incorrect verb form, and “It is the population increase in all the five districts combined” is an unclear sentence structure. The sentence beginning “In 1900 the number of population might increase” uses an unsuitable modal construction for reporting a definite historical figure. Several sentences run together without spaces after full stops, and the opening phrase “over last two centuries” needs an article. Use direct past-tense reporting and check each sentence for a complete, clearly structured clause.

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