Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-05
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 5.0)
The fluctuations in the overall number people of New York City between 1800 and 2000 is illustrated in the first table whereas, second and third table shows this over five different districts of the city-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island over this period.
The total population of the city was the lowest in 1800 which increased marginally over this period. Manhattan contributed the most to the total population at the beginning. Even though, the proportion of the people of Manhattan went on decreasing rapidly from 1800 to 2000, it surged in other four districts of the city.
Although, the overall population of the town was 79,216, it surged approximately 40 times in 1900, continued its growth ,reaching approximately eight million in 2000.
The proportion of individuals in Manhattan went from 76% in 1800 to 54% and 19% in 1900 and 2000 respectively, decreased more than 3 times over the period. This was not the case in other districts as, the figure surged approximately 4 times between 1800 and 2000.
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 features of the data, such as the overall population growth and the shift in distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the statement that the population 'increased marginally' is inaccurate given the data shows a massive surge from 79,216 to nearly 8 million. Furthermore, the data interpretation is inconsistent; the text mentions '1900' as a data point, but the provided tables only show 1800, 1850, 1900, 1950, and 2000. The response fails to highlight key trends across all provided years, leading to an under-developed summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. While some cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Although', 'Even though', 'whereas'), they are sometimes used incorrectly or create confusion. For example, the opening sentence is a run-on, and the transition between the general population trends and the district-specific data is abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the different time periods and districts effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are instances of unnatural collocations, such as 'number people of New York City' instead of 'population of New York City' and 'surged approximately 4 times' (which is mathematically vague). The range is limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors like 'increased' or 'surged' repeatedly. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated control over word choice, which limits the score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('second and third table'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation errors (e.g., the hyphenation and comma usage in the first paragraph). The sentence 'The fluctuations... is illustrated' contains a subject-verb agreement error. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.5–6.0 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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