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 illustrates the total population of all five districts of New York City from 1800 to 2000, while the second and third tables tell about the propotion of population district wise namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island.

Overall, the population increased throughout the period with the year 2000 recorded the highest number. It is noticable that in year 1800, Manhattan recorded the most propotion of total population, whereas in 2000, there was a significant change in the trend as Manhattan recorded the lowest while other four districts climbed a massive increase and gained the highest numbers ever before.

In year 1800, New York City has the least population that is 79,216 in which 76% of this population was occupied in Manhattan and the remaining was in the other four district which was 24%. The year 1900 showed almost an equal distribution of population in Manhattan and in remaining four districts that is 54% and 46% respectively.

The most dramatic change occured in 2000 where 8,009,185 population was recorded but the interesting part was that Manhattan just occupied 19% of that population, which makes it 1,538,096 and the significant part was taken in the other four districts that was 81% around 6,471,089 which is more than triple of the Manhattan numbers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall rise in New York City’s population and the major shift from Manhattan to the other districts, and the figures you give for 1800 and 2000 match the tables. However, coverage of the data is uneven: the total population in 1900 (3,437,202) is omitted, and the district figures are grouped as “other four districts” without explaining that the table combines Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. The overview also says those districts “climbed a massive increase,” but does not clearly distinguish their combined population growth from their share of the total. Include the key 1900 total and compare the actual population figures across all three years to make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs reporting the earlier and later figures. This gives the reader a coherent route through the information. Some linking and referencing, however, are mechanical or unclear. For example, “the interesting part” and “the significant part” do not specify the comparison as directly as they could, while “which makes it” has an unclear reference. The 1900 figures are placed in a separate paragraph, but the discussion would progress more logically if each year were compared consistently, including the total population as well as the district shares. Use direct links such as “By contrast” and name the figures or groups being compared.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “distribution,” “recorded,” and “significant change,” so the topic is generally clear. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which limits precision: “propotion” is misspelled, “tell about the proportion” is informal, and “occupied in Manhattan” does not naturally describe residents. Phrases such as “climbed a massive increase” and “highest numbers ever before” are also unclear or unnatural. Aim for standard data-reporting language and check spelling and word forms. For example, describe a population as “living in” a district, and say that a figure “rose substantially” or that a district’s share “increased.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “whereas” and a relative clause in “which makes it 1,538,096.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. In “with the year 2000 recorded the highest number,” the structure after “with” is faulty; “with 2000 recording…” would be more controlled. Tense and agreement are inconsistent in “New York City has the least population” and “the remaining was,” and articles are missing in phrases such as “in year 1800.” There are also awkward sentence constructions, particularly in the final sentence. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build complex sentences around clear subjects and verbs.

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