Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-09
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)
This complete table shows statistically changing the total amount of population in new york city while the other shows the changes in the population of the five districts of the city that I mentioned below.
Firstly , the total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000 with a high numbers of citizens. Although in the year 1800 it has the least number of population posses upto 79,216. Additionally, in the 2000 has the peak number of population in new york cities accross of all five districts which has around 8 lakhs. Apparently in 1900 peoples of new york contains the mediocre population as compared to other years which has 3.4 lakhs.
Secondly, the manhattan and other five districts has also plays a crucial role for standings in population. In the year 1800 manhattan stands with 76% which is upto 60,000, while on the other hand the different districts of population in 1800 which contains only 24%. Moreover the all five districts has the highest number of residents in 2000 which is upto 6.5 lakhs that holds 81% of total populations.
Last but not least, in 1900 Manhattan and other five districts has the 18lakhs population in 1900. In comparison of this other districts holds similarly upto 15 lakhs supress 46% of population. Overall this is report and comparisons of all five districts that contains population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarise the data but fails to clearly identify the main trends or provide accurate comparisons. The data interpretation is inconsistent; for example, the mention of '8 lakhs' for the year 2000 is inaccurate based on the provided table (which shows 8 million). Furthermore, the distinction between Manhattan and the 'other five districts' is confused, as the prompt lists five districts in total, not five plus Manhattan. The overview is missing, and the report lacks a clear focus on the most significant changes over the two-century period, leading to a fragmented presentation of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Last but not least' are used, they are often applied mechanically and do not effectively link the ideas. The referencing is frequently unclear, particularly when discussing the districts, which makes the information difficult to follow. The summary at the end is abrupt and does not effectively synthesise the information presented in the body paragraphs, resulting in a lack of overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often inappropriate for an academic report. There is a reliance on informal or imprecise phrasing, such as 'high numbers of citizens', 'peoples of new york', and 'supress'. The use of 'lakhs' is not standard in international English IELTS tasks, which typically use millions. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'statistically changing the total amount of population', which is awkward and lacks the precision required for a Band 6 or higher.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are persistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'manhattan and other five districts has also plays'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward sentence structures. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While there is an attempt to use complex sentences, they are often faulty, and the majority of the text consists of simple or poorly constructed clauses. The control of basic grammar is insufficient for a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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