Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-28

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 tables ilustrate the data of a resident in New York City bettween 1800 and 2000. In the second and third table is divided into year, population and total population as percentage in Manhattan and other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens).

Overall, the resident of New York City of all five districts were 79,216 in 1800. Which grow dramatically after 100 years with the population of 3,437,202 and in 2000 the people who were living in this area have a size of 8,009,185.

As we compared the other two tables. THe second table is indirectly propotional to the third table where in 1800 the Manhattan have the highest percent of resident of 76% of the total population as time passed the New York population exponentially increased. The number people also moved to the other districts and the percentage of people living their also dramatically increased 81% in 2000s where as the number of people who are living in Manhattan is decreased to 19% of total population in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern: New York City’s population rose sharply, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share increased. The figures you give for the city total and the 2000 shares match the tables, and you make a relevant comparison between the two district groups. However, coverage is uneven: the important change in Manhattan’s actual population—from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900, then down to 1,538,096 in 2000—is not clearly reported. The statement that people “moved” to other districts also goes beyond what the tables show; they record population changes, not migration. Include the key stages and distinguish population totals from percentages to make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph comparing the district figures. This helps the reader follow the broad topic. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, particularly in the final paragraph, where “As we compared” and “where” connect ideas awkwardly, and the relationship between population growth and changing percentages is not fully explained. “The second table” and “the third table” are also less clear than naming Manhattan and the other districts directly. Use clearer topic sentences and organise the comparison chronologically—for example, report 1800, 1900, and 2000 changes in sequence. More precise referencing and fewer mechanical links would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “increased,” so the main subject is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “grew dramatically” and “exponentially increased.” However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “a resident” should refer to the population, “indirectly proportional” does not accurately describe the relationship, and “the number people” is incomplete. Spelling errors such as “ilustrate,” “bettween,” and “propotional” are noticeable. Aim for precise, neutral reporting language and check spelling; terms such as “population share,” “rose,” and “declined” would describe the data more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison across the tables and a time clause beginning “as time passed.” However, some sentence structures are incomplete or difficult to control. “Which grow dramatically after 100 years” is a fragment, and “As we compared the other two tables” is not a complete, natural opening for the comparison. There are also errors in agreement and verb forms, as in “the Manhattan have” and “the resident … were,” as well as missing articles or prepositions in phrases such as “the number people.” Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including “THe.” Build complete sentences around each main point, check subject–verb agreement, and use past-tense forms consistently when describing the historical figures.

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