Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-10
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 given table charts illustrate the distinction in the value as well as the percentage of total population of New York and its various districts between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, it is apparent that the population of New York city has a significant growth as the decade follows. The second trend is that initially Manhattan has the highest number of people while at the end of given period other districts overtook it noticeable numbers.
To commence with, in 1800, the population is showed around 79,216, however it has surged to a dramatical value of near 3.5 million in the following decade and in the next decade, it was marginally lower than three times of preceding decade. Now let us talk about the districts, to begin with, in 1800, the people living in Manhattan was greater by around 40 thousand than other districts or made up 76% and 24% of total population respectively. The following decade has significant swell in Manhattan as well as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island by nearly 1.9 million and 1.5 million respectively. In year 2000, other districts over took the Manhattan by 5 milion
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 identifies the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to other districts. However, the data reporting is inconsistent and inaccurate. For instance, the claim that the population surged to 3.5 million in the 'following decade' after 1800 is factually incorrect based on the provided table. Furthermore, the summary of the district data is confusing, particularly the final sentence which mentions '5 million' without clear context or accurate reference to the table. The response lacks the precision required for a high band score, as it fails to accurately represent the data provided in the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or awkward, such as 'To commence with' and 'Now let us talk about'. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition between the total population and the district-specific data is abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the comparison between the districts over the two-century period.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are several instances of inaccurate word choice, such as 'dramatical value' (should be 'dramatic figure') and 'significant swell' (which is not standard collocation in this context). The phrase 'other districts overtook it noticeable numbers' is grammatically and lexically flawed, impeding clarity. While the student attempts to use some academic vocabulary, the lack of precision and frequent errors in collocation suggest a limited range that struggles to convey the data accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder understanding. Examples include 'the population is showed' (passive voice error), 'in the following decade' (misuse of time reference), and 'people living in Manhattan was greater' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper closure. While the meaning is generally discernible, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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