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 first table demonstrates that how the population changes in New York City and next two tables show the population trends of five districts of the city in between 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the population had increased in New York City and its five districts over the centuries, but show a big dip in manhattan population from 1900 to 2000.
The starting table shows that the New York City population increases over the time. In 1800 population was around 79k, a good increase till 1900 but a massive number of people added at the end of 20th century. The population of Manhattan have seen in next table, 76 percent of total population of New York City resided in Manhattan around 1800 but overall percentage is decreased but the number of people were increased from 60515 to [redacted phone], but at the end of 2000 population and percentage both were declined. Final table tells us about the trends of other four districts regarding population, the number of people and overall percentage of citizens lived in New York City increased rapidly from 18701 to [redacted phone] and 24% to 81% in between 1800 to 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 growth in population and the specific trends for Manhattan versus the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the population increase is quite vague, using phrases like 'a good increase' rather than referencing specific data points from the tables to support the summary. Additionally, the interpretation of the Manhattan data is slightly confusing, as the text mentions a decline in 2000 while the table shows a continued increase in absolute numbers. To reach a higher band, you should focus on selecting more precise data points to illustrate the trends and ensure your interpretation of the figures is accurate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited, and some transitions feel abrupt, such as the jump between the general overview and the specific data points. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the 'next table' or 'final table', which makes the reader work harder to follow the logic. Improving the use of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'in contrast', 'consequently') would help create a smoother progression of ideas throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic descriptors like 'big', 'good', and 'massive', which do not convey the information with the academic tone required for IELTS Task 1. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'starting table' instead of 'first table' or 'the population of Manhattan have seen in next table'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'significant growth', 'a steady rise', or 'a notable decline', and ensure your word choices are more formal and varied.
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. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the population of Manhattan have seen'), incorrect preposition usage ('in between 1800 to 2000'), and awkward phrasing ('demonstrates that how the population changes'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences that lack proper conjunctions or full stops. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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