Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27

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 three tables illustrate changes in thr population of NewYork city as a whole and the distribution of residents between Manhattan and other four districts from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, New York city faces a dramatic increase in the population in the given yime period. However, Manhattan, which had the vast majority of population in 1800, accounted for less than one fifth in 2000.

In 1800, New York haf population of 79216 which rose enormously to 3,437,202 in 1900 and it almost doubled in 2000. Manhattan in the initial years cintained 60515 residents containing 76 percent of city's population. By 1900, it increased surprisingly to 1,850,093, but proportion fall to 54.

By 200, Manhattan's population had declined accounting for 19 percent of the total . As compared to it o, other districts in rincreased from in 1800 , 1900 18,701 and 1,587,089 respectively The share of these districts rise to 81 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall contrast: the city’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19%. You also report several relevant figures, including Manhattan’s 1900 population. However, coverage is incomplete and some details are inaccurate or unclear. The total for 2000 is described only as “almost doubled” from 1900, rather than giving the figure, and the other districts’ 2000 population of 6,471,089 is omitted. The 1900 figure for those districts is misstated as 1,587,089 instead of 1,587,109, and the final comparison is difficult to interpret. Include the key 2000 totals and clearly compare the districts’ populations and shares across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs presenting figures. The overview also gives the reader a useful direction by contrasting citywide growth with Manhattan’s declining share. However, progression becomes difficult to follow in the final paragraph, especially in “As compared to it o, other districts in rincreased from in 1800, 1900…” The sequence of figures is not clearly connected to the years, and the final sentence does not specify which share rose. Use one paragraph to compare Manhattan across the three dates and another to track the other districts, with clear year-by-year links such as “By 1900” and “By 2000.” Proofread transitions and references so cohesion is not disrupted.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “distribution,” “residents,” “accounted for,” and “proportion,” and you attempt to describe change with words such as “dramatic” and “declined.” This gives you a basic range for reporting the tables. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “faces a dramatic increase” is not natural for a historical trend, and “increased surprisingly” adds an unsupported reaction rather than describing the data neutrally. Spelling and word-form slips such as “thr,” “yime,” and “cintained” also reduce precision. Prefer neutral, precise expressions such as “rose sharply,” “reached,” and “made up,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview beginning “However” and a comparison using “By 1900.” Some sentences communicate the intended trend, but grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between figures hard to understand. Examples include “Manhattan in the initial years contained 60515 residents containing 76 percent,” where the repeated participle creates an unclear structure, and “By 200, Manhattan’s population had declined accounting for 19 percent,” which lacks a clear grammatical link between the clauses. There are also missing articles and inconsistent tense forms, as in “New York haf population.” Build shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses with accurate verb forms and punctuation.

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