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 given table chart illustrates the changes in the total population of New York City from

1800 to 2000. The second and third tables depicts the changes in the population of five districts of the city ( Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens, Staten Island.

Overall , it is evident that New York City population was increased through the period while , Manhattan population ratio was high in 1800 all over the period.Similarly, other four districts people ratio gradually incresed between 1800 to 2000.

In 1800, New York City's all five district population was 79,216 and it significantly increased to 3,437,202 in 1900 and in the year of 2000 it was 8,009,185.Subsequently, the Manhattan population was 76% in 1800 and it was gradually decreased to 54% in 1900 or in the year of 2000 it was remained only 19%.

In contrast, other four district ( Brooklyn , Brinx , Queens , Staten Island ) popolation proportion was 24% in 1800 and it was doubled in 1900 to 46%.In the year of 2000 the population ratio of four districts was 81 %.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main time points and report the overall rise in New York City’s population, supporting it with the correct totals for 1800, 1900 and 2000. You also identify the key shift in population share: Manhattan falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts rise from 24% to 81%. However, the overview is not fully clear: saying Manhattan’s ratio “was high in 1800 all over the period” conflicts with the subsequent decline you describe. The response also focuses on percentages for the districts rather than their population figures, and does not mention that Manhattan’s population itself peaked in 1900 before falling by 2000. Clarify the overview and include this important contrast.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting the figures. This gives the information a coherent overall arrangement, and the contrast introduced by “In contrast” helps distinguish Manhattan from the other districts. Some links and references are less clear, however. “Similarly” does not introduce a parallel trend, since Manhattan’s share decreases while the other districts’ share increases. The overview’s phrase “all over the period” is also difficult to reconcile with the decline described later. Several sentences run together without adequate spacing after full stops, and the final paragraph repeats the same time sequence. Use clearer transitions and organise the comparisons so each paragraph develops one main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing tables and trends, including “significantly increased,” “decreased,” “proportion,” and “in contrast.” These choices make the main comparisons understandable. However, some word combinations and forms are inaccurate or awkward, such as “table chart,” “population ratio,” and “other four districts people ratio.” Spelling errors, including “incresed,” “Brinx,” and “popolation,” also reduce precision. The range is adequate for the task but relies on repeated uses of “population” and “increased/decreased.” Aim for accurate collocations such as “population share” and “accounted for,” and check spelling and word forms carefully. More precise vocabulary would make the comparisons sound clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and a comparison introduced by “In contrast.” The main information is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “The second and third tables depicts” has subject–verb disagreement, and “New York City population was increased” uses an incorrect passive form. The overview sentence “Manhattan population ratio was high in 1800 all over the period” has an unclear structure, while “it was remained only 19%” combines incompatible verb forms. Punctuation and spacing around commas and full stops are also inconsistent. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and sentence patterns such as “the population rose” and “its share fell to 19%.”

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