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)
The table illustrates the percentage of the population in New York city from 1800 to 2000. And in second table we have breakdown of change the population in five different districts of New York city over the same period.
Overall, In New York city the highest population was recorded in the 2000 and Manhattan district was a major contributor of increasing the population in New York city and a significant raise was recorded in the year 1900 and other district contribute highest increasing population in the year 2000.
Firstly, In the New York city a huge population raise was in the 2000 year which is around 8 million approximately. However In Manhattan district the biggest portion of increasing the population was in the year of 1900 which is 1.8 Million and 54 % of the district population and in the other areas of New York city was the highest increasing population year was in 2000 around 81% of the total districts growth.
Secondly, the lowest portion of the population in the Manhattan district was observed in the year 2000 around 19% of the total population. Moreover others districts of New York cities the lowest population was recorded in the year 1800 which was 24% of all the population number.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the shifting proportions in Manhattan versus the other districts. However, the analysis is hampered by significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, stating that Manhattan had 1.8 million people in 1900 as '54% of the district population' is confusing and misrepresents the data provided in the tables. Furthermore, the description of the trends is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical focus. While all parts of the task are addressed, the lack of precision in reporting the figures prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'In the New York city' and 'In Manhattan district' at the start of sentences. The logical progression between ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition between the overall trend and specific data points feels abrupt. While the paragraphing is functional, the internal flow needs more sophisticated linking words to improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher score. There is frequent repetition of basic terms like 'population', 'increasing', and 'year'. Phrases such as 'major contributor of increasing' and 'significant raise' are slightly unnatural in an academic context. The student attempts to use percentages and figures, but the phrasing around these statistics is often awkward, which limits the ability to convey information with clarity and precision. Expanding the range of synonyms and improving collocation would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include incorrect article usage (e.g., 'in New York city' instead of 'in New York City'), subject-verb agreement errors, and awkward prepositional phrases. For example, 'other district contribute highest increasing population' lacks necessary articles and correct verb tense. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over more complex structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.
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