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)

These three charts illustrated the population of the New York city that since 1800 to 2000. In the first one, it figure out the population of all over the city while in other two tables it has scaled percentage of five specific cities (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) during the same period.

Overall, New York city population rate gradually increased over the year. At the same time, the new York four district population proportion has raised upward expect one district that is Manhattan.

Initially, in the first table population was dramatically increased over the year. Such as, in 1800 this counted figure was 79,216 while in next one durable increased is 3,437,202.

In about 2000, this city population reached to peak like 8,009,185.

On the other side, a district Manhattan population slightly decreased whereas percentage and figures mentioned. In 1800 it was 60,515 that percentage was 76% but in next year it is rapidly plunged.

At the end of the year in 2000, it is constantly hit the low rate of percentage like 19%.

In contrast, the other districts population steadily escalated like goes up from 24% to 81% in all over the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the data, such as the overall population growth and the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is hampered by significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student claims the population in 1800 was 79,216, but the table shows 79,216 as the total for 1800, while the breakdown for Manhattan is 60,515. The description of the trends is also confusing, particularly the claim that Manhattan's percentage 'plunged' from 76% to 19% while the figures were 'mentioned' without clear comparison. The response lacks a clear, accurate summary of the key data points, leading to a partial and sometimes misleading presentation of the information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often disjointed. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'Overall', the logical flow is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. For example, the transition between the general population trend and the district-specific data is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, which makes the text feel repetitive and difficult to follow in certain sections. Paragraphing is present but does not effectively separate the distinct data sets provided in the tables.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is limited and often repetitive. The student relies on basic terms such as 'increased', 'raised', and 'figures'. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'durable increased', 'constantly hit the low rate', and 'scaled percentage'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the message. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of precision and the frequent misuse of words prevent the response from reaching a higher band. More variety and accurate collocations are needed to describe trends effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('these three charts illustrated', 'population... has raised'), incorrect tense usage ('since 1800 to 2000'), and awkward sentence construction ('it figure out the population'). Punctuation is also problematic, with missing articles and incorrect preposition usage throughout. While the meaning is generally discernible, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar structures significantly affects the readability of the report.

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