Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-29

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 below represent the overall population of New York City from 18s to 20s century.

The population of New York City in the beginning was a few thousands then in the middel of this time period it rise up to more then a quarter of ten million then at the end of this time period it was almost more then doubled.

In eighteenth century most of New York population was residing in its Manhathan district.The population of Manhathan in 18s was around sixty thousand but in 19s it increase upto almost two million.Then in 20s century it decline and numbers of population fall to one and half million.

On the other hand,the population of other four districts of New York City in eighteenth century was very low.In the 18th century the population of these districts was just around twenty thousand.However,in the 19th century the population increase more then one and half milion.then in 20th centruy the poplation drasticaly increase upto six and half million.by the tewnty century most population was residing in other districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main population changes and make relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts. The figures are broadly accurate: Manhattan rises from about 60,000 to nearly 2 million before falling to around 1.5 million, while the other districts grow to about 6.5 million. You also identify the key shift by 2000, when most residents lived outside Manhattan. However, the opening overview is vague and includes an unclear claim that the total population was “almost more then doubled”; the actual total rose from 3.4 million in 1900 to 8 million in 2000. Include a concise overview stating the overall growth and the changing population balance, and report the total figures more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows a generally understandable sequence: it introduces the city’s overall trend, then discusses Manhattan and the other districts, ending with the shift in where most residents lived. Time markers such as “in the 19s” and “in 20th century” help readers follow the chronology, and “On the other hand” signals a comparison. However, the paragraphing is limited, and some transitions are mechanical or unclear. For example, “then in 20th century” begins a new point without clear punctuation, while the opening moves from total population to district trends without a well-defined overview. Organise the response into a clear introduction and overview, followed by separate comparison paragraphs, and use linking phrases to show contrasts and changes more precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “increase,” “decline,” “population,” and “residing,” so the main information can be understood. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “rise up,” “fall to,” and “drasticaly increase.” Repeated use of “population” and “century” also makes the account less precise. Spelling errors such as “Manhathan,” “milion,” and “poplation” are noticeable and reduce control. Build a more varied set of accurate trend expressions and check spelling carefully. For example, use “grew substantially,” “decreased,” and “accounted for” where appropriate, while ensuring the wording matches the figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “On the other hand” and the time sequence in the Manhattan paragraph. The main trends remain understandable, but errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries are evident. For instance, “it rise up” should be “it rose,” and “it increase” should be “it increased”; “the population increase more then” also needs a past-tense verb and a correctly formed comparison. Several sentences run together after full stops or begin with lowercase letters, which makes the structure harder to follow. Practise consistent past-tense reporting and use shorter, accurately punctuated sentences before adding more complex comparisons.

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