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)

First of all there are three tables showing the population of new york city and its five districts across each century.

First table is showing the population of new york city in total during nighteen twenteth and twenty first century. In 1800 the population of new york city was merely around eighty thousand. There was a surge in the population of the city in 1900 reaching at thirty four lacs approximately. As the year passed in twenty first century these numbers increased to thrice the numbers before.

Now second table is showing the information of manhattan district of the city. During 1800 its population was the 79 percent of the total city population but as the years passed its population's percentange dropped to fifty four percent. In the year 2000 its population's percentage dropped to only nineteen percent of the total city's population.

Third table is showing constant increase in the population of the other districts from 24 percent to 84 percent.

So if we compare the population percentage of five districts it shows that during the initial 1800 year manhattan population was more than half of the city's total population but as the years passed other district's population shows tremendous growth. This huge growth of pupulation in other districts dropped the population percentage of manhattan district.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern: New York City grew substantially, Manhattan’s share declined, and the other districts became more important. However, some key figures are inaccurate: Manhattan had 76% of the population in 1800, not 79%, and the other districts reached 81% in 2000, not 84%. The description of the total population is also imprecise: it rose from 79,216 to 3,437,202 and then to 8,009,185, rather than simply “thrice the numbers before.” A particularly important feature is omitted: Manhattan’s actual population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000, despite the city’s overall growth. More precise reporting and a fuller overview would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from the total population to Manhattan, then the other districts, and finally a comparison. This gives the reader a basic overall structure. However, the repeated openings “First table,” “Now second table,” and “Third table” make the progression somewhat mechanical, and the first paragraph repeats the task rather than presenting a clear overview. Some references are also vague: “these numbers” and “the years passed” do not always make the comparison explicit. Grouping the main trends into a concise overview followed by paragraphs comparing the figures would improve the flow. Use linking expressions selectively and make each comparison’s subject clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing change, including “surge,” “dropped,” “constant increase,” and “tremendous growth.” These choices communicate the general trends, but the range is uneven and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “reaching at thirty four lacs” and “thrice the numbers before.” There are also spelling errors, including “nighteen,” “percentange,” and “pupulation,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for standard, precise language for figures and proportions, such as “rose to,” “accounted for,” and “increased to more than twice its earlier level.” Avoid informal or region-specific number terms when describing data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison introduced by “but as the years passed,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, some sentence structures and grammatical forms are inaccurate. For example, “First table is showing” needs an article, while “the population ... was the 79 percent” has an incorrect article and construction. “As the year passed in twenty first century these numbers increased” also has an unclear time expression and awkward clause structure. Several sentences rely on similar patterns, limiting the range. Practise accurate article use and build comparisons with clear subjects and time references, for example, “By 2000, Manhattan’s share had fallen to 19%.”

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