Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02

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)

Total three tables are mentioned, the first one represents the gross population of all five district of New York City during the period of 1800 to 2000, while others two tables give the information about the changes between Manhattan and other districts over the same duration.

Overall, Population rose dramatically in all district of New York City, while Mahattan has the highest population at start and lowest population in other combined district but at the end manhattan population decreased gradually and population rose steadily in other district.

In 1800, 79216 people were living in newyork city and with in just one century it reached to [redacted phone] individuals, while in 2000 it become more. than the doubbled from previous century which were [redacted phone] people in number.

On the other hand, initally three quarter of population were living in Manahattan and rest were living in other district. In 1800, it decreased gradually and reached to 54% only in Manhattan ,rest were shifted to other districts and finally in 2000, majority of population moved to other city that were about 81% and only 19% were in Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall changes: New York City’s population grew substantially, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other districts’ share rose. The figures for the city total and the percentages are broadly accurate, including the 54% and 19% figures for Manhattan. However, the overview says population rose in all districts, which is not supported for Manhattan: its population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. The response also describes people as having “moved” to other districts, although the tables show population changes, not migration. More direct comparison of the actual district populations, especially the rise in the combined other districts to 6,471,089, would make the key features clearer and better developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting figures and comparisons. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal the purpose of each section. However, some connections are unclear or mechanical. For example, “In 1800, it decreased gradually” has an unclear reference, since the preceding sentence discusses the population share and the next figure is for 1900. The final paragraph also repeats the 1800 starting point rather than progressing cleanly through the three years. Use clearer references and organise the comparisons chronologically, linking each year’s population and share.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “percentage,” “reached,” “decreased,” and “rose steadily.” These choices make the main trends understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, such as “gross population,” “three quarter of population,” and “moved to other city.” “Doubbled” is also misspelled, and “Manahattan” and “newyork” show inconsistent spelling and capitalisation. The phrase “more than the doubled” is not natural English. Aim for standard data-reporting expressions and check spelling carefully; more precise vocabulary would help distinguish a population total from a percentage share and avoid implying migration that the tables do not show.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including longer sentences with “while” and “and,” and the main message is generally recoverable. However, some complex sentences are not controlled accurately. For example, “Total three tables are mentioned” lacks a suitable article and natural sentence structure, while “the first one represents … while others two tables give” has errors in number and determiner use. There are also problems with tense and sentence construction in “in 2000 it become more” and “which were 8009185 people in number.” Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, particularly around commas and full stops. Build accuracy with shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas using correctly formed clauses and consistent past-tense reporting.

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