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 first table illustrates that the fluctuations in all the population of New York City in between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables shows the differences five districts of the city (Manhattan, Bronx, Queens , Staten Island) in terms of population over the same period.
Overall, The number of the peoples was significantly upgoing in that city from 1800 to 2000.In Manhattan district, the percentage of total population was going on decreasing though rest of the other districts has incresing percentage at same period.
On the one hand , All five districts of New York City had rapid growth of people . In 1800 , there is lowest population 79,216, while after one year it reached 3,437,202. Furthermore, the highest population 8,009,185 reached in 2000.
On the other hand, for Manhattan lowest population had highest percentage of total population and highest population had lowest percentage . But in other district the relation between population and percentage of total population was low with low and high with high.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broadest trends: New York City’s population grew substantially, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other districts’ share rose. The figures for the citywide totals are accurate, and your comparison of the percentage patterns is relevant. However, the account is only partly developed: it omits the key district figures and the important change that Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 by 2000. The phrase “after one year” also misrepresents the interval between 1800 and 1900. The overview is present, but the body needs clearer, accurate comparisons across all three dates, including the other districts’ growth from 18,701 to 6,471,089.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to two detail paragraphs. “Overall” and “On the other hand” signal stages of the discussion, so the reader can follow the intended organisation. However, progression within the body is limited: the final paragraph gives a general relationship between population and percentage rather than comparing the figures in a clear sequence. Some linking is also inaccurate or awkward; “On the one hand” is not followed by a contrasting “on the other hand” point in a logical way, and “after one year” disrupts the timeline. Organise the details chronologically or by district, and use links that express the actual relationship between ideas.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “significantly,” which helps communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate enough to make parts of the report unclear. “Fluctuations” suggests repeated rises and falls, whereas the citywide total rises throughout; “upgoing” is not a natural description of a trend, and “peoples” is unsuitable here. There are also spelling errors such as “incresing,” alongside inconsistent spacing and punctuation. Aim for precise trend language and standard collocations, such as “increased steadily,” “accounted for,” and “the remaining districts.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts a few longer structures, including “though” and “while,” but most sentences rely on simple patterns, and errors occur frequently. For example, “The second and third tables shows” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the fluctuations in all the population … in between” has an incomplete grammatical construction. Articles and sentence boundaries are also problematic in “there is lowest population” and “2000.In Manhattan.” The past-time data are not consistently expressed in the past tense, as in “there is” and “it reached.” These errors sometimes make the intended comparison difficult to interpret. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses using “while,” “whereas,” and “by.”
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