Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-31

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 image illustrates three different tables which provides information about total population in New York.

Overall, the New York City have shown a gradual rise in the number of residents over past few years.

To begin with, the highest value of citizens is in year 2000, followed by the mid value of citizens in the year 1900, which was around 3,437,202, and the least number of poulation was in 1800, around 79,216. This data shows that with time, the number of residents also increase.

On the another hand, Manhattan, a district in New York occupies least population in comparison to another districts of the city. Which is quite unbeliveable because in the year 1800, it contributed 76% of total population. Whereas, another districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten island in the whole contributes 81% of total population in the year 2000. However, in 1800 it was only 24%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall rise in New York City’s population and make a relevant comparison between Manhattan and the other districts. The figures you give for 1800 and 1900, and the shares of 76%, 24% and 81%, match the tables. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not mention the striking change in Manhattan, whose population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000, while the other districts grew substantially. The claim that Manhattan has the “least population” is not accurate for all three years, since it had the largest population in 1800 and 1900. Include the 2000 city total and develop the key changes across all three years to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting details. Phrases such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” and “However” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, the progression is not always clear because the first detail paragraph repeats the general increase already stated in the overview, while the district comparison moves between years without consistently explaining the change. “On the another hand” is an awkward transition here, and the sentence beginning “Which is quite unbelievable” is a fragment whose reference is unclear. Group the city totals together, then compare Manhattan with the other districts across the three years, using clear links between each comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “total population,” “residents,” “contributed,” and “in comparison.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main topic, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural for an academic table summary. “Highest value of citizens” and “mid value of citizens” are not natural ways to describe population figures; “largest population” and “second-highest figure” would be clearer. “Gradual rise” also understates the very large increase shown, and “unbelievable” introduces an informal personal reaction rather than neutral reporting. There are spelling errors in “poulation,” “unbeliveable,” and “island.” Aim for precise, neutral terms and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex forms, including a relative clause in “Manhattan, a district in New York…” and a comparison introduced by “Whereas.” However, errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction recur. For example, “three different tables which provides” should use a plural verb, and “the New York City have shown” has incorrect agreement and article use. “On the another hand” is also grammatically faulty, while “Which is quite unbelievable” is an incomplete sentence. The phrase “the number of residents also increase” needs a past-tense verb to match the historical data. Practise building complete comparison sentences and checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and tense consistency.

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