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 are show the changes in population of New York City over the time between 1800 and 2000. The first table represents the total population of the city beside this second and third tables show the data of resident that were living in manhanttan or the other for districts(Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) of New York City.

Overall, the resident in the city in 1800 was about 79,216. In next 200 year the population dramatically increased. In 1800 76% of population lived in Manhattan but as time passes the population of the New York City escalated Manhattan population increased with this but the total percentages was going down and in 2000 Manhattan dealed with 19% of total popuation which is 1.5 million.

Other than that the other four districts of New York City witnessed the spike in the population in 1900. The population increased from 24% to 81% of the total population of the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad pattern of strong growth in New York City and the shift in population share away from Manhattan, which are central features of the tables. You also report the 1800 total and Manhattan’s 2000 share and approximate population accurately. However, the account is uneven: it does not give the 1900 or 2000 city totals, and the statement that Manhattan’s population increased “with this” is misleading because it fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. The other districts’ population share rose from 24% in 1800 to 81% in 2000, not specifically in 1900. Include the key stages and distinguish population totals from percentages to make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview of the broad changes, and a paragraph about the other districts. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened by unclear links and references. For example, “beside this second and third tables” is an awkward transition, while “with this” does not clearly identify what is increasing. The final paragraph jumps from the 1800 share to the 2000 share while mentioning 1900, making the timeline difficult to follow. Organise the body chronologically and use explicit comparisons, such as “By 1900…” and “By 2000…”. Clearer paragraph development and more precise referencing would make the cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “increased,” and “districts,” so the main topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at more varied wording, such as “dramatically increased” and “witnessed the spike,” but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural in this context. “Dealed with 19%” does not express a population share, and “the spike” is too informal and imprecise for an academic summary. Spelling errors such as “manhanttan” and “popuation” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise collocations such as “accounted for,” “rose,” and “declined,” and check spelling of place names and key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “but” and a time clause beginning “as time passes.” However, some sentence structures are faulty, and these sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “The three tables are show” combines incompatible verb forms, and “In next 200 year the population dramatically increased” has problems with the article, plural form, and tense. The long sentence beginning “In 1800 76%...” also lacks clear grammatical control and punctuation. Use a consistent past-tense frame for the historical data, and separate comparisons into shorter sentences. More accurate articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries would improve clarity.

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

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