Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-07
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 portrays the information about the alteration of overall population from 1800 to 2000 in the New York City with other districts of the city including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
At a fleeting glance, the highest population has been recorded in New York City in 2000 which is around 8 million while, 78 thousand has been navigated in the other districts which was the least one. In New York City, the number of population rose steadily throughout the centuries.
Observing further, Manhattan and other districts accounted for higher proportion of population figured in 2000 in contrast to 1800 respectively from 78 thousand in 1800 and 8 million in 2000. so that is tnoticed during these years. i have explained all these in well manner.
To conclude it, there are plenty of progressive changes in population have been noticed in these cities of United States of America
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to adequately address the task requirements. While it mentions the overall population, it fails to provide a meaningful summary of the data provided in the tables. The student does not compare the five districts effectively, instead grouping them vaguely as 'other districts'. Key trends, such as the specific growth patterns of Brooklyn or the decline/fluctuation in Manhattan, are entirely omitted. The data cited is inaccurate or poorly interpreted, such as the claim that 78 thousand was the population of 'other districts' in 1800, which misrepresents the table. The response lacks the analytical depth required for an Academic Task 1 report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The introduction is repetitive, and the body paragraphs lack clear focus or thematic grouping. Cohesive devices are used in a mechanical and often incorrect way, such as the phrase 'so that is tnoticed during these years'. The final sentence is disconnected from the data analysis, and the overall structure does not guide the reader through the information in a logical manner. Referencing is often unclear, making it difficult to follow the intended comparison between the years and the districts.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often used inaccurately. Phrases like 'navigated in the other districts' and 'proportion of population figured' are unnatural and do not convey the intended meaning. There is a lack of precision in describing statistical trends; for example, the student uses 'alteration' instead of 'change' or 'growth'. The vocabulary is repetitive, and the attempt to use more complex language results in awkward phrasing that occasionally impedes clarity. The student also includes meta-commentary ('i have explained all these in well manner'), which is inappropriate for an academic report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('there are plenty of progressive changes... have been noticed'), incorrect preposition usage, and poor sentence structure. Punctuation is inconsistent, and there are informal errors such as the lowercase 'i'. While the student attempts some complex sentence structures, they are often faulty or lack the necessary control to be accurate. The range of structures is limited, relying heavily on simple or poorly constructed compound sentences, which prevents the demonstration of higher-level grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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