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 given tables illustrates the information about changes in the total population of five different districts of New York city from 1800 to 2000.
Overall,rapid increase in population takes place year by year in the city of five districts.Manhattan district is in the first place for highest total population among the other four districts.
In the year 1800,the combined population of five districts is around 79,216.By 1900,it is increased to 3,437,202 members.Around 3 lakh population has increased in the year [redacted phone].From [redacted phone],over 5 lakh population difference can be seen which is 8,009,185.
When comparsion takes place among the five districts,majority of people migrated to manhattan
district rather than other districts.Around 76% of people have moved to manhattan and left over to other districts in 1800 year.Over 54% of population migrated to manhattan in 1900 and 46% to remaining places.But in 2000 year,81% of total population moved to brooklyn,bronx,queens and staten islands districts and 19% people migrated to manhattan.
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 report the overall city population at all three dates and identify the major shift in the districts’ shares, including the rise of the other four districts to 81% by 2000. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: Manhattan was not the largest district in 2000, when its population was 1,538,096 compared with 6,471,089 in the other districts combined. Several figures are also misinterpreted. The city’s population rose by about 3.36 million from 1800 to 1900 and 4.57 million from 1900 to 2000, not “3 lakh” and “5 lakh”; moreover, the tables show population changes, not migration. To strengthen the response, describe the contrasting trends accurately and compare the actual populations as well as percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph on the city total, and a paragraph comparing Manhattan with the other districts. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within paragraphs is weakened by unclear or repetitive linking, such as “When comparsion takes place,” and the sequence of figures is not always explained. The overview’s claim that Manhattan ranked first also conflicts with the later account of the 2000 figures. Group the information around the main contrast—Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose—and use clear transitions to connect each date and comparison.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “combined population,” “total population,” and “districts,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Migrated” suggests movement of people, which the tables do not report; “members” is not suitable for a population figure, and “population difference” is vague. There are also noticeable spelling and form errors, including “comparsion” and inconsistent capitalisation of district names. Choose precise language for describing data and trends, and check spelling and collocations. For example, describe the population as “rose” or “increased,” rather than saying people “moved” to a district.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts some longer sentence forms, including “When comparsion takes place among the five districts,” but most sentences rely on simple patterns, and errors occur frequently. The opening “The given tables illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, while “Overall,rapid increase … takes place” lacks an article and has faulty punctuation. Verb forms are also inconsistent in “By 1900,it is increased” and “76% of people have moved.” Commas are often attached to the following word, and sentence boundaries are not consistently controlled. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and basic agreement first, then build longer comparisons with structures such as “whereas” and “while.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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