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 shows the variation in population growth over two years ([redacted phone]) in new York City while the second and third tables exhibit the changes in population of five districts of the same city. Coming back to the first table the population of new York city seems to rise with 79,216 in 1800 and [redacted phone] in 2000. The second table is about Manhattan district of New York. overall, the population of this district is on ascending trend but if compared with overall population, it is declining as it is shown that in 1800 Manhattan constituted 76% of total population of the city which markedly declined in 2000 with only 19% of city's total population. The third table depicts population changes in four other districts of New York City. Combining alltogether, they constitute 81% of total population which was only 24% in 1800. overall, population increased in two years period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad pattern of strong population growth and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts, which addresses the main subject of the tables. The figures of 79,216 and 8,009,185, and the shares of 76% and 19% for Manhattan and 24% and 81% for the other districts, are reported accurately. However, the account is incomplete: it omits the 1900 figures, including the city total and Manhattan’s peak population, and does not explain that Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 before falling to 1,538,096. The claim that Manhattan is on an “ascending trend” is therefore misleading. A clearer overview and more balanced coverage of all three years would make the key comparisons more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows the tables in a broadly understandable order, moving from the city total to Manhattan and then the other districts. However, the progression is not consistently clear: phrases such as “Coming back to the first table” and “The third table depicts” make the response read like a sequence of table descriptions rather than a connected summary of the main trends. The overview is also delayed until the final sentence, and “overall” is repeated without clearly linking the comparisons. Organise the response into a brief overview followed by focused comparisons, and use references such as “by contrast” or “whereas” to show how Manhattan differs from the other districts. This would improve the overall progression and reduce repetitive linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “constituted,” “declined,” “population,” and “districts,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “markedly declined,” though the wording is not always precise: describing Manhattan as being on an “ascending trend” conflicts with its fall between 1900 and 2000. Some expressions are awkward or informal, including “Coming back to,” “Combining alltogether,” and “in two years period.” Capitalisation and spelling also need attention in “new York” and “alltogether.” Choose precise trend language and natural collocations, for example “Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900” and “the other districts’ combined share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the clause beginning “if compared with overall population,” and most of the message remains understandable. However, some grammatical errors and punctuation problems reduce accuracy. For example, “the population of new York city seems to rise with 79,216 in 1800 and 8009185 in 2000” has an awkward comparison structure, while “which was only 24% in 1800” has an unclear reference. The sentence beginning “Combining alltogether” is also not formed naturally. Capitalise proper nouns consistently, use complete and clearly linked clauses, and check articles and punctuation. More accurate structures such as “Manhattan accounted for 76% of the city’s population in 1800, compared with 19% in 2000” would make the comparisons clearer.

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