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)

The rendered table charts depict information about changes population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. Second and Third tables manifest transmutes in the population of the five districts of the city ( Manhattan , Brooklyn, Queens, Staten island ) over the homogeneous period.

Looking for an overall perspective, The ratio of population in the new york duration the difference years. Second table corresponds that of percent of population in the Manhattan and other districts during different years.

Getting back to the details , In New York, The all five districts population in 1800 was 79,216 . However,The population 1900 and 2000 were 3,437,202 as such as 8,009,185 orderly.

Switching remains to the information,In Manhattan, The segment of population in year 1800 and 2000 were ranging between 76% to 19 % respectively. Moreover, The quota of all districts in year 1800 and 2000 were under between 24% and 81 % orderly.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear or accurate summary of the data. While it mentions the population figures for 1800, 1900, and 2000, the analysis of the district data is confusing and lacks precision. The student struggles to interpret the tables correctly, particularly regarding the percentage shifts. Key features, such as the dramatic growth in Brooklyn or the relative decline in Manhattan's share, are not clearly highlighted. The report lacks a coherent overview, and the information provided is often disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to grasp the main trends in the data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression of ideas is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inappropriate, such as 'Switching remains to the information' and 'Getting back to the details'. These transitions do not effectively link the ideas. Furthermore, the referencing is often unclear, and the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a logical flow, making the report feel like a collection of isolated sentences rather than a cohesive analysis of the provided tables.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often misused. Words like 'transmutes', 'homogeneous', and 'orderly' are used incorrectly in this context, which hinders clarity. The student relies on repetitive phrasing and lacks the precision required to describe statistical data effectively. There is an attempt to use more academic vocabulary, but the lack of understanding of collocation and word choice leads to frequent errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with article usage ('the population 1900'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are awkward or incomplete, such as 'The ratio of population in the new york duration the difference years.' While there is an attempt to use complex structures, these are often faulty and lead to a lack of clarity. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. These persistent errors significantly impact the readability of the text.

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