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 provided three table illustrates the population of New York City and change in population of it's districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island) between the year 1800 and 2000.
Overall, the population of New York city increased dramatically by the year. in started manhattan population greater than other districts, while at the end of provided time frame it decreased and other districts community inclined.
In 1800, firstly, all five districts have 79,216 individuals which is lowest among all other years, secondly, populaiton of provided regions become 3,437,202 by the year of 1900 which was second largest. Morever, in 2000 there ware 8,009,185 people among five provided districts which was highest populaiton till the end of year.
On the one hand, the percentage of total population of Manhattan was 60,515 approximately 76% by the year 1800 while other districts had only 24%, by the year 1900 manhattan remained most popular among all the distrrict by the population 1,850,093 (54%).On the other hand this trends become opposit by the year 2000 manhattan population become 1,538,096 round lower than quator while other districts population increased to 6,471,089 near 81%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You cover the main time points and identify the central shift: Manhattan accounted for most of the population in 1800 and 1900, whereas the other districts dominated by 2000. The figures for the city total and the district groups are generally reported accurately. However, the overview is unclear in places, especially “other districts community inclined,” and the description of 1800 incorrectly says all five districts had 79,216 people; this was the total for the whole city. Also, “Manhattan population was 60,515 approximately 76%” confuses the population figure with its share. Clarify that Manhattan’s population fell after 1900 while the combined population of the other districts rose substantially, and distinguish totals from percentages consistently.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs presenting the figures. Time markers such as “In 1800,” “by the year of 1900” and “in 2000” help readers follow the chronology, while “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” signal a contrast. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several comparisons are packed into long sentences, and the contrast markers do not always connect the information precisely. For example, the sentence beginning “On the one hand” combines Manhattan’s population and percentage with the other districts’ share without clearly separating the figures. Use shorter, clearly focused sentences and organise the details by the city total first, then the district comparison.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “increased dramatically,” “percentage,” “population” and “remained most popular.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning unclear. “Other districts community inclined” does not express the intended population trend, and “Manhattan remained most popular” is unsuitable because the table concerns population, not popularity. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “populaiton,” “distrrict” and “opposit.” Choose precise terms such as “population share,” “accounted for” and “combined population,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the comparisons more natural and easier to understand.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “while” and “although”-style contrasts, and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, errors in sentence structure, verb forms, agreement and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “The provided three table illustrates” has problems with number agreement, and “in started manhattan population greater” lacks a clear grammatical structure. In “all five districts have 79,216 individuals,” the tense is inconsistent with the historical data. Some sentences also run together, as in “(54%).On the other hand,” where punctuation and spacing are missing. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build comparisons with complete clauses, checking articles, plurals and sentence boundaries.
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