Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-10

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 5.0)

THE TABLE ILLUSTRATES CHANGES THAT HOW THE POLPULATION OF NEW YORK CITY RISES OVER THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 1800 AND 2000.

OVERALL, IT IS NOTICEABLE THAT THE POPULATION OF FIVE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS IN NEW YORK CITY EXPERIENCED MORE POPULATION IN THE YEAR 2000. WHEREAS IN THE YEAR 1800 RECORDED LOWEST POPULATION.

IN THE DISTRICT MANHATTAN, THE POPULATION STOOD HIGHEST IN THE YEAR 1900 AROUND THE FIGURE 18LAKH WITH WHILE I CAN SEE IN OTHER DISTRICTS THE FIGURE INCREASED IN THE YEAR 2000 AROUND 64LAKH. AND THIS IS MOST HIGHEST POPULATION IN BETWEEN GIVEN FIVE DISTRICTS. THE LOWEST POPULATION IN THE GIVEN TABLE IS IN THE YEAR 1800 IN OTHER DISTRICTS OF THE CITY WITH EIGHTEEN THOUSAND POPULATION.

IT IS EVIDIENT THAT, IN OTHER DISTRICTS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF POPULATION IS THE YEAR 2000, HOWEVER THE LOWEST NUMBER OF POPULATION IS IN THE YEAR 1800. AND OVERALL POPULATION IS RISE IN THE YEAR 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and make relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts. For example, you correctly note that Manhattan peaked in 1900 at about 1.85 million, while the other districts reached their highest population in 2000, at about 6.47 million; you also identify their low point in 1800. However, the overview is imprecise: it says the five districts experienced “more population” in 2000 without clearly summarising the contrasting trend in Manhattan, whose population fell after 1900. The citywide totals are not reported, and some comparisons are repeated rather than developed. A clearer overview and accurate use of the key totals and percentage shifts would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details about Manhattan and the other districts. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph repeats that the other districts were highest in 2000 and lowest in 1800, points already made earlier. Linking words such as “whereas,” “however” and “and” are used, but some connections are unclear or awkward, as in “Whereas in the year 1800 recorded lowest population.” The comparison between the two groups would be easier to follow if each paragraph had a distinct purpose and the figures were grouped by year or by contrasting trend, with less repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “highest” and “lowest,” so the main subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “experienced more population,” “the figure increased” and “most highest.” Spelling errors, including “polpulation” and “evidient,” also reduce accuracy. Repeated use of “population” and “figure” makes the description less precise. Build a small set of accurate terms for describing data—such as “rose,” “declined,” “accounted for” and “reached a peak”—and use them with the relevant district or total. Check spelling and avoid combining superlatives such as “most highest.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and more complex comparisons, but control is inconsistent, and faulty sentence construction sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. For instance, “The table illustrates changes that how the population … rises” combines incompatible structures, while “Whereas in the year 1800 recorded lowest population” is an incomplete clause. The sentence beginning “In the district Manhattan” also contains several clauses joined without clear grammatical control. Tense and article use are uneven, as in “population is rise” and “in the year 1800.” Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past simple forms consistently to describe the historical data. Shorter, accurately punctuated comparisons would improve clarity.

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