Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-04

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 first tables provide the data about changes in the total population of New York City from year 1800 to 2000. The other two tables provide the breakdown of the population of the districts of the city in the following years.

The population shows constant rise from year 1800 to year 2000 in the first table. In the second table the in year 1800 population of Manhattan accounts for the highest proportion which declines over the three mentioned years. Meanwhile the third table shows the proportion for other districts of the city in which year 2000 showed the highest percentage.

In first table the population accross the New York City rose significantly between 1800 to 2000. In the second table Manhattan was dominant in 1800, accounting for highest proportion of overall population with 76% of total population. In year 1900, the population of the other districts almost doubled rising from 24% for 46%. In year 2000, population of Manhattan declines and accounts for 19%, whereas the population of other districts rose upto 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern: New York City’s population increased, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other districts’ share rose. The percentages you report for 1800, 1900 and 2000 match the tables, and the comparison between Manhattan and the other districts is relevant. However, the overview is partly repetitive, and the response gives little detail about the actual population figures. It also says the other districts’ population “almost doubled” from 24% to 46%, which confuses a percentage share with population growth; the figures show a rise in share, while their population increased from 18,701 to 6,471,089. Include key population totals and describe the main changes precisely to develop the summary more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, a broad summary, and then further comparisons. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the second paragraph repeats points made in the third, and the tables are discussed in a somewhat mechanical order rather than grouped around the main contrast. Linking phrases such as “Meanwhile” and “whereas” help signal comparison, but “In the second table the…” is awkwardly constructed, and references to the “second” and “third” tables make the account less direct. Organise the response into a concise overview followed by a paragraph comparing the three years, and use clear references to Manhattan and the other districts.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “dominant,” “accounts for,” “declines” and “rose significantly.” These choices help communicate the main trends, and the meaning is generally clear. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise, however: “constant rise” is less natural than “steady increase,” while “rose upto 81%” should be expressed as “rose to 81%.” “Almost doubled” is also misleading here because it describes the change in percentage share, not the population itself. There are spelling errors in “accross” and inconsistent phrasing such as “in the following years.” Use precise terms for population totals and percentage shares, and check spelling and natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “whereas the population of other districts rose…” and the relative clause beginning “in which.” Most of the intended meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors make the writing less controlled. For example, “In the second table the in year 1800 population…” has a faulty word order, and “from 24% for 46%” uses an incorrect preposition. Articles and sentence openings are also inconsistent, as in “In first table” and “In year 1900.” Aim for clearer sentence patterns, such as “In 1800, Manhattan accounted for 76% of the total,” and proofread prepositions, articles and word order.

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