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 first table gives information about the changes in the total population of New York from 1800 to 2000. The second and third table shows changes in population of the five districts.

Overall, There is a huge change in the population of New York over the period of time. The other districts have shown evident increase in their population throughout the years.

The first table provides the information about the total population of New York. In the year 1800 the population was estimated at 79,216, throughout the decades it had reached till 3,437,202 in the year 1900. By the year 2000 arrived, the population had risen from 3,437,202 to 8,009,185. Population had never seen a drop.

In the year 1800, the population of Manhattan was around 60,515 which made up around 76% of the total population of the city, followed by the year 1900 where the population had reached 1,850,093 which had reached to 54% of total population, and by the year 2000 the district only made around 19% population of the city despite an increase in population of the district at 1,538,096. The other districts were around 18,701, making up 24% of the city. in 1900 it was at 1,587,109 making up of 46% of the total population and by the year 2000 it had ridden to 6,471,089 making up 81% of the total population

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main data sets and report the key overall contrast: New York’s total population rose substantially, while the other districts’ share increased and Manhattan’s share fell. The figures you give are generally accurate, including the 2000 populations and percentages. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly state that Manhattan’s population itself peaked in 1900 and then declined by 2000, despite its share falling much more sharply. The phrase “despite an increase” is inaccurate for Manhattan’s population between 1900 and 2000. Also, the opening refers to “second and third table,” although the information is presented in two visuals. A clearer overview and more precise comparison of Manhattan’s absolute population trend would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for the total population and district figures. This helps the reader locate the main information. However, progression within the final paragraph is difficult to follow because several years and comparisons are packed into one long sentence, and the discussion shifts from Manhattan to the other districts without a clear break. Linking expressions such as “followed by” and repeated uses of “by the year” do not always show the relationship between the figures accurately. The overview also repeats a general point rather than organising the main contrasts. Use shorter sentences, group the two district trends into distinct sections, and make comparisons explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “total population,” “made up,” “reached” and “increase,” so the topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “estimated at” and “evident increase.” However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural: “population had reached till” and “had ridden to” do not express the intended trends idiomatically, while “made around 19% population” is awkward. Repetition of “population,” “reached” and “by the year” limits flexibility. Choose precise reporting verbs and collocations, and vary them carefully—for example, “stood at,” “accounted for,” “rose to” and “declined to.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and time expressions, and the main figures remain understandable. However, errors in agreement, sentence construction and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “The second and third table shows” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “By the year 2000 arrived” uses an incorrect clause structure. The long final sentence joins several comparisons without clear punctuation, and “in 1900” begins a new sentence without a capital letter. There are also awkward article and preposition patterns, as in “54% of total population.” Build complex sentences around one clear comparison at a time, check agreement and clause structure, and proofread sentence boundaries.

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