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 three different table illustrates the changes in the population of New York city and in the population of other five districts of the city over the same period from 1800 to 2000.
It is significant that the population of New York in all five districts increased year by year in first table have no percentage. However, the second table shows that both population and percentage of district Manhattan increase to decrease during the same time but in third table population and percentage in other four districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island decrease to highest increased at the given period.
It is clear that the first table changes the total population of new york city in all five districts by year 1800 the population 79,216 to above increased by year 2000 into 8,009,185 have not given percentage. In addition, other two tables also gives percentages of five districts over the same period. In Manhattan, population is highest in 1900 as compared to other years and highest percentage 76% of total population in 1800 and started to least percentage by year to 2000.
Other four district percentage of total population shows highest changes during the same period in 24% to highest increase upto 81% and population also increased to more in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad pattern that New York City’s population grew substantially and that Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose. You also include relevant figures, such as the city total of 79,216 in 1800 and 8,009,185 in 2000, and Manhattan’s peak population in 1900. However, the overview is unclear and some trends are described inaccurately: Manhattan’s population did not simply “increase to decrease” across the period, and the other districts’ population did not decrease; it rose from 18,701 to 6,471,089. The response also gives limited comparison of the key changes, particularly the shift in population distribution by 2000. State the main contrasts accurately and support them with selected figures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details about Manhattan and the other districts. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is grouped. However, progression is weakened by unclear links and repeated references to “the first table” and “other two tables,” rather than organising the report around the main trends. Several sentences combine multiple ideas without clear relationships, especially the overview beginning “It is significant that…”. Connect the total population trend to the changing district shares, and use separate, focused paragraphs for the overview and comparisons. More precise referencing would also make it clearer which population or percentage each statement describes.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “total population,” and “increased,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word combinations are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the intended trend difficult to understand. For example, “increase to decrease” and “decrease to highest increased” do not clearly express the changes, while “started to least percentage” is not a natural way to describe a falling share. There is also inconsistent capitalisation of “New York City” and “Manhattan.” Choose precise trend verbs such as “rose,” “fell,” and “accounted for,” and use them consistently to distinguish population totals from percentages.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the response includes some time references and comparisons. However, grammatical errors are frequent, and several sentences are difficult to follow. For example, “The three different table illustrates” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “the population 79,216 to above increased by year 2000 into 8,009,185” lacks a clear grammatical structure. Articles, verb forms, and sentence construction are also unreliable, as in “the first table changes the total population” and “other two tables also gives.” Build clearer sentences with a subject, verb, and comparison, and check agreement and tense. For instance: “The city’s population rose from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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