Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03
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 5.0)
This table illustrates the changes in the population of New York City including its districts between 1800 to 2000 . The tables show the details of population changes of each century in the form of percentages.
The first table is presenting the overall changes of all the five districts where the greatest increase was recorded after year 2000 and the smallest increase was recorded between 1800 to 1900. However, the second table shows the record of Manhattan district from the same period with the largest increase with 76% recorded from year 1800 to 1900 and less changes in population were recorded with 19% in this district after 2000. The third table shows the details of the remaining four districts which are Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Stalen Island. In these districts, the population increased more rapidly after 2000 with 81% and the least population increased from 1800 to 1900.
In summary, the three tables demonstrate the changes in population of the last 3 centuries of 5 districts of New York City.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarise the data but fails to accurately report the main features. The interpretation of the tables is flawed; for instance, you state the 'greatest increase was recorded after year 2000', which contradicts the data provided in the tables. Furthermore, the summary lacks a clear overview of the trends, and the grouping of data is confusing. You have not effectively compared the districts or highlighted the significant shifts in population growth rates over the two centuries. To improve, focus on identifying the most striking trends, such as the shift in growth from Manhattan to the other districts, and ensure your data points are accurate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into three paragraphs, which is a standard structure. However, the logical progression is weak because the information presented is often inaccurate or confusingly grouped. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'In summary', but they are sometimes used to connect ideas that do not follow logically from the previous sentence. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'the second table' and 'the third table' without clearly distinguishing the specific data sets being compared. Improving the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite repetitive and limited. You rely on basic phrases like 'greatest increase', 'smallest increase', and 'details of'. There is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'experienced a decline', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and precision in your word choice prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to data analysis and population trends to demonstrate a wider range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'between 1800 to 2000' should be 'between 1800 and 2000' or 'from 1800 to 2000'. There are also issues with article usage ('the record of Manhattan district') and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing time periods and data trends. Proofreading for basic errors in sentence construction will also help increase your score.
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