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 first table illustrate the total population of New York City changed in 1800 to 2000, while other both tables shown the proportions for the population of other five districts of the city over the same period.

Overall, Manhattan accounted for the largest proportion of population in New York City, while other districts remains low population rate.

In 1800, total population of New York City was 79,216, while Manhattan dominant the percentage of total was 76% and 60,515. Other districts figured the just 24% with 18,701 population.

in 1900, 54% out of total proportion for Manhattan district and others remained 46% of totals.

in 2000, other districts figured out sharply increase of 81% and 6,471,089 number of population, however Manhattan decline at just 19% and 1,538,096. Significant ratio of population in New York City spark and highly increased in others districts. These figures show that the proportion of population increasing and decline over the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You include relevant figures from all three years and identify the major shift: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share rises from 24% to 81%. However, the overview is inaccurate when it says Manhattan had the largest share while the other districts “remains low”; this describes only the early period, not the overall trend. The 1900 figures are reported as percentages but not as population totals, and the citywide growth from 79,216 to 8,009,185 is not clearly summarised. The final statement about the proportions “increasing and decline” is vague. A clearer overview should emphasise that the city grew substantially and that population shifted from Manhattan to the other districts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from an introduction to an overview and then year-by-year details, so the reader can follow the broad timeline. However, the organisation is not consistently clear: the overview’s claim that the other districts remained low conflicts with the later account of their rise, and the 1900 paragraph gives little detail before moving to 2000. Linking words such as “while,” “however” and “Overall” are used, but some connections are awkward or do not clarify the relationship between ideas. For example, “Significant ratio of population in New York City spark and highly increased in others districts” is difficult to connect to the preceding figures. Grouping the citywide total trend separately from the changing district shares would create a clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “proportion,” “percentage” and “decline,” and the key figures remain understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to interpret. “Manhattan dominant the percentage” and “other districts figured the just 24%” do not express the intended comparisons naturally; “spark” is also unsuitable for describing population growth. Repetition of “population,” “districts” and “proportion” further limits flexibility. Aim for precise reporting verbs and collocations, such as “accounted for,” “represented,” “rose sharply” and “fell to,” while checking that each phrase accurately describes either a population total or a percentage share.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including comparisons with “while” and “however,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and agreement appear in “The first table illustrate,” “other tables shown,” and “other districts remains.” Sentence construction is also faulty in phrases such as “Manhattan dominant the percentage of total was 76%,” where the relationship between the subject and the figures is unclear. Articles and prepositions are sometimes missing or awkward, as in “in 1800, total population” and “increasing and decline over the period.” These errors recur and can make the reader work to understand the intended meaning. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build comparisons with complete clauses, for example, “Manhattan accounted for 76% of the total in 1800, whereas the other districts made up 24%.”

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

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