Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-03
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 below tables illustrate the of population of the New York City from 19th century to 21st century ans also the proportion of population of five districts Manhattan,Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and Staten Island.
Overall, the population of New York City rose incredebly in 20th century (in 1900's).Manhattan had the largest portion of population in 1800's and all other districts had a slight growth till 20th century.
The population in New York City has Experienced an upward trajectory from 79k in 1800 to 8 million till 2000.In the early years Manhattan had ranked first in terms of population in NYC, but the population started dwindeling from 1900's to 2000's due to people moving to urban areas.
On the another hand the districts such as Brooklyn and Bronx had very less population till early 1900's but these districts has escalate rapidly from 1900's to 2000's ,1.5 million to around 6.47 million respectively .While the other two districts Queens and Staten Island has also escalate but very less compared to other two districts.They have experienced volatility.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the shift in population share away from Manhattan, which are central features. However, the account is only partly accurate and developed: Manhattan’s population fell from 1.85 million in 1900 to 1.54 million in 2000, but the claim that the other districts had only “slight growth” until the 20th century is not supported by the figures. The combined population of the other districts rose substantially, reaching 6.47 million in 2000. The statement that people moved to urban areas is an unsupported explanation, and “volatility” is not demonstrated by data for only three years. Report the main comparisons more precisely and avoid adding causes or trends the tables cannot establish.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the overall and district populations. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. Some links are useful, such as “On the another hand” and “While,” but the progression is not always clear: the final paragraph moves from Brooklyn and the Bronx to Queens and Staten Island without giving a clear comparison or explaining the figures. References such as “these districts” and “the other two districts” also leave the reader to infer which groups are meant. Organise the details around the clearest contrast—Manhattan versus the combined other districts—and use linking phrases and references more precisely.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You attempt a range of vocabulary suited to describing trends, including “upward trajectory,” “proportion,” “dwindeling,” and “volatility.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “the of population” is unclear, “ranked first” is awkward for a population comparison, and “very less population” is not idiomatic. Spelling errors such as “incredebly” and “dwindeling” are noticeable, while “escalate” does not naturally describe population growth. Choose familiar, accurate trend language rather than forcing less suitable terms. For example, “increased,” “declined,” and “accounted for” would express the relevant changes more clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response includes both simple statements and attempts at longer sentences, for example the contrast beginning “but the population started…” and the sentence comparing the districts. However, errors in sentence formation and grammatical control are frequent enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. Examples include “The below tables illustrate the of population,” “On the another hand,” and “these districts has escalate.” Articles, agreement, verb forms, and punctuation also need attention; several sentences run together without spaces after full stops. Practise building accurate subject–verb–object sentences first, then add subordinate clauses. Check that each sentence has a clear subject and correctly formed verb, and use full stops to separate complete ideas.
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