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)

The first table represents the total population of all five districts of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The other two tables give information related to population and proportion of total population in five districts of the city Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, that too in the same time period.

Overall, the rise in population was observed in New York City and other districts comprising Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island with stated passing years. The trend is quite different in Manhattan as the population first rose significantly from 1800 to 1900 and then declined in 2000. The other distinguishing feature was continuous decrease in the percentage of total population in Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad trends accurately: the city’s population increased, Manhattan grew and then declined, and its share of the total fell. However, the response is only a partial summary because it gives no figures to support these points and omits the scale of the changes, including the city’s rise from 79,216 to over 8 million and the other districts’ growth to 6,471,089. The overview also says the population rose in the other districts without comparing their share with Manhattan’s, a key feature of the tables. The response is 97 words, below the required 150; 18 words copied from the prompt were not counted. Add selected figures and comparisons, and develop the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening sentence introduces the tables, followed by an overview of the main trends. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, it stops after these two paragraphs and does not progress to a detailed account of the figures, so the ideas remain underdeveloped and the overall progression is limited. Some linking is also awkward: “with stated passing years” does not clearly explain the time trend, while “The other distinguishing feature” introduces a point without showing how it relates to the preceding comparison. Organise the response into an introduction, a concise overview, and one or two detail paragraphs, using clear links between the figures and trends.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable topic vocabulary, including “total population,” “proportion,” “declined,” and “percentage,” and the reader can understand the main trends. There is also an attempt to vary expression through phrases such as “distinguishing feature.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise, such as “population and proportion of total population in five districts” and “with stated passing years.” “The rise in population was observed” is also wordy and less direct than the language typically used to describe table data. Aim for concise, accurate collocations such as “population figures,” “share of the city’s population,” and “over the period.” More precise vocabulary would help distinguish population totals from percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable sentences and attempt complex structures, particularly in the overview: “The trend is quite different in Manhattan as the population first rose significantly … and then declined.” The main meaning is generally clear. However, control is uneven in longer constructions. For example, “the population and proportion of total population in five districts of the city Manhattan…” lacks clear grammatical framing, and “The other distinguishing feature was continuous decrease” needs an article before “continuous decrease.” The phrase “with stated passing years” also makes the sentence structure difficult to follow. Use shorter, well-controlled sentences when presenting comparisons, and check articles and the grammatical links between clauses. This would make the response more consistently accurate.

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