Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-06
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)
New York city is a heart of United States of America. The New york city is well densely populated. From year [redacted phone], the population of new york city has increased by time. In 1800, the population was 79,216. In 1900 and 2000, the population was 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 respectively.
In Manhattan, the percentage of total population is 76% which is 60,515 by year 1800. By year 1900, the percentage drops to 54% which was 1,850,093 and by the year 2000 the population more drop to 19% that is 1,538,096 in manhattan.
Other Districts that includes Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, staten Island. The Population size in 1800 was 18,701 followed by 24%. In 1900, it raised to 24% which is 1,587,109. In 2000, the population size increased by 81% and the population size bacame 6,471,089. So, that`s the census of population in new york city from different districts of the year [redacted phone].
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 in the total population and the shifts in district proportions. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, simply listing figures rather than synthesizing the data effectively. The description of the 'Other Districts' is problematic; grouping Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island together ignores the specific data provided for each in the tables, leading to an over-generalization that misses key comparative features. While the main features are identified, the lack of a clear overview or summary of the most significant changes (such as the massive growth in the outer districts compared to the relative decline in Manhattan's share) limits the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is an appropriate structure for a report. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'In 1800... In 1900... In 2000...'). The transition between the general population data and the district-specific data is abrupt. Furthermore, the referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when grouping the four districts together as 'Other Districts', which makes the logical flow difficult to follow for a reader who is trying to reconcile the text with the provided tables.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There is a reliance on basic verbs like 'increased', 'raised', and 'drops'. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'New York city is a heart of United States' and 'the population more drop to 19%'. The term 'census of population' is used slightly inaccurately in this context. To improve, you should incorporate more varied reporting verbs and nouns related to statistical trends, such as 'surged', 'plummeted', or 'proportion'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include missing articles ('in manhattan', 'in new york city'), incorrect verb forms ('population more drop'), and capitalization errors ('New york city', 'staten Island'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The sentence structure is often repetitive, relying heavily on 'In [year], the population was...'. Increasing the use of complex sentences with accurate subordinate clauses would help improve the range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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