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 table illustrate the increasing scenario of new york population from 1800 to 2000. In the first table we can see that the population was increasing very rapidly whereas the next two table show the percentage of population being increased in the districts of New York.

From these table it is clear that the population of the New york are being increased day by day.In Manhattan district the population was decreasing between 1800 to 2000.on the other hand the population of rest four districts such as Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and Staten Island the population was always increased in numbers and percentage.In 1800 the highest percentage of poluation was recoreded in Manhatten after that the population was getting higher in the rest four districts of New york.In 1900 and 2000 the population percentage was almost double in the others districts. In 2000 the highest percentage of population 81% recoreded in rest of the four districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad trends: New York’s total population grew substantially, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other four districts became more dominant. The figures you do include—76% for Manhattan in 1800 and 81% for the other districts in 2000—are accurate. However, the account is only partly developed: it gives no total-population figures and does not report the key reversal that Manhattan’s population rose to 1.85 million in 1900 before falling to 1.54 million in 2000. The claim that the other districts’ percentage was “almost double” in both 1900 and 2000 is unclear and inaccurate as a comparison; their shares were 46% and 81%. Select and compare the main figures more precisely, and make the overview explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then describing trends, and phrases such as “on the other hand” signal contrast. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the opening repeats that the tables show population increases, while the later sentences move between population numbers, percentages, and years without a clear sequence. References such as “these table” and “the others districts” also make it harder to follow exactly which data are being discussed. Group the information into a clear overview followed by comparisons across the three years, and use linking expressions only where they accurately show the relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “percentage,” “increasing,” and “decreasing,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. For example, “increasing scenario” is not a natural way to describe a trend, and “the population was getting higher in the rest four districts” is imprecise. There are also spelling errors in “poluation,” “recoreded,” and “Manhatten,” alongside inconsistent capitalisation of New York. Build a more precise set of trend expressions and check spelling carefully; this will make comparisons clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “on the other hand,” but control is inconsistent. Errors occur in basic sentence structure and agreement: “The first table illustrate” needs a plural verb, while “the population of the New York are being increased” has an incorrect verb pattern and agreement. The sentence beginning “In Manhattan district…” also lacks a clear, correctly punctuated structure, and several sentences run together without spaces after full stops. These problems sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, past-tense reporting, articles, and sentence boundaries before adding more complex structures.

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