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 tables represent the information about the population of New York City and five districts of the city: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the largest amount of population among five district climbed throughout the given period. In Manhattan, the lowest number of people lived in the given period. In contrast, Others districts had increased the population over the given time.

In 1800, whole population of New York City had accounted for 79,216, While increased 3,437,202 at the year of 1900. In 2000, the city had risen up 8,009,185. Furthermore, In Manhattan, population had the percentage of 76% of total population that is 60,515 in 1800, After that number of people increased double of 1,850,093 in 1900 and had downward gradually at 1,538,096 at the period of 2000 with the 19%.

On the other hand, Other districts had lowest population compared with Manhattan at the period of 1800 that is 18,701 which was 24%. However, the population in Other districts had the highest at 6,471,089 which is 81% at the end of the given year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and the major shift from Manhattan to the other districts, and most figures you include match the tables. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: Manhattan did not have the lowest population throughout the period, since it had the largest district population in 1800 and 1900; it was lower than the combined other districts only by 2000. The response also omits the key comparison that Manhattan’s population rose sharply to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling, while the other districts grew substantially across both intervals. Develop these contrasts more precisely and distinguish the combined “other districts” from individual boroughs to make the main features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction and overview to figures for the city, Manhattan, and the other districts. Connectors such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “On the other hand” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview’s claim about Manhattan conflicts with the later figures, and the final paragraph gives only a brief endpoint comparison rather than developing the trend. Some linking expressions are awkward or do not clearly express the relationship between ideas. Organise the body around the three dates or the contrasting trends, and use clear references such as “the combined population of the other four districts” to avoid ambiguity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “total,” and “downward,” so the subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word combinations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “largest amount of population,” “had the percentage of,” and “had downward gradually.” Capitalisation of “Other” is also inconsistent when it is not a proper name. Choose standard data-reporting language and vary verbs accurately: for example, describe figures as “stood at,” “accounted for,” “rose,” or “declined.” More precise phrasing would help distinguish the combined other districts from Manhattan and make comparisons easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences and use time clauses and contrast, but complex structures are often faulty, and errors recur across the response. For example, “While increased 3,437,202 at the year of 1900” is an incomplete clause, while “the population had the percentage of 76%” has an unclear grammatical relationship. Tense and verb patterns are also inconsistent in “had increased double” and “had downward gradually.” Punctuation and sentence boundaries need attention, particularly the capital letters after commas in “79,216, While” and “Furthermore, In Manhattan.” Practise complete clauses with a clear subject and verb, and use simple past forms consistently to report these historical figures.

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