Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-05

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 below illustrates the information about changes in the population of New York City from 1800 to 2000.Whereas the second and third table decribes the alteration in the population of the five districts of the city over the same tenure.

Overall,the city has showed a marked elevation in the population from year 1800 to 2000.Moreover the city districts have also undergone through various changes in the population.

First of all,New York city have low population in year 1800 ranging around 79,217 but within first 100 years the city had more than one hundred percent population increased.Furthermore,within hundred more years the population doubled to the previous figure . Now the city had population of eight million peoples.

On the other hand, If we talk about the population increase in the five districts of the city.Manhattan had the highest percentage in the start. Then in year 2000,the population decreased to only 19 percent. The other four districts Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten Island have decreased percentage of population in the start only 24 percent.But now in year 2000 they had 81 percent of population living in those four districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall pattern: New York City’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ combined share grew. You also include relevant figures, such as the city total of about 79,217 in 1800 and the 2000 shares of 19% and 81%. This covers the task’s central comparisons. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the city population did not increase by “more than one hundred percent” by 1900; it rose from 79,216 to 3,437,202. The total then increased to 8,009,185, but did not double from the 1900 figure. The account also misses Manhattan’s absolute population peak in 1900 and subsequent decline. More precise reporting and fuller development of these changes would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to the city total and then the district comparison. Connectors such as “Overall,” “First of all,” and “On the other hand” help signal stages. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow: the city figures are described imprecisely, and the final paragraph shifts from Manhattan to the other districts without clearly distinguishing population numbers from percentages. Some linking phrases are mechanical or not well suited to the relationship, particularly “On the other hand” for a comparison that is not a contrast in argument. Use clearer topic sentences and refer explicitly to “share of the total” to make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “decreased,” and “doubled,” and the main subject remains understandable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing statistical trends: “marked elevation,” “undergone through various changes,” and “population increased” do not express the data as naturally as standard chart language. “Peoples” is also not the appropriate plural for a population count, and “in the start” is an awkward phrase. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less precise. Prefer familiar, accurate collocations such as “rose sharply,” “experienced changes,” “population increased,” and “at the beginning of the period.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause beginning “Whereas” and a time clause with “within first 100 years.” However, control is uneven, and errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries recur. Examples include “the second and third table decribes,” “the city has showed,” and “New York city have low population.” The opening “Whereas” clause is not joined to a complete main clause, while “If we talk about…” creates an awkward sentence fragment. Missing spaces after full stops and commas also affect punctuation. Check subject–verb agreement and use complete sentences; for example, “New York City had a population of 79,216 in 1800.”

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