Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11

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)

Tables represents overall population changes in New York City and the portion of all five major districts Manhattan, The Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and state island respectively over the period of 200 years from 1800 till 2000.

Over the centuries, The total population of New York City increased drametacaly. In1800s overall population of New York City was 79,216 and Manhattan city has 60,515 in total and it was 76% of total population. whereas other four districts contributes only 24% of entire population and has only 18,701 persons together.

This situation remains in 1900s as well. As NYC population increased to 3,437,202 The Manhattan city makes 54% of total greater than other four who only makes 46% together.

While in 2000 this game has changed as Manhattan total contribution to population drop to 19% and other four dist

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence. While you have identified some key data points, the analysis is underdeveloped. You have not provided a clear overview of the trends, and the failure to complete the description of the year 2000 data means the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure you provide a clear summary of the main trends and complete all sections of your analysis. The lack of a concluding summary or a full comparison of all districts significantly impacts the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the abrupt ending makes it difficult to assess the overall logical progression. You use some cohesive devices like 'whereas' and 'while', but the flow is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is unfinished, which disrupts the coherence of the response. To improve, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that you use a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas more smoothly throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'drametacaly' (dramatically) and 'dist' (districts). You rely on basic terminology and struggle with the names of the locations (e.g., 'The Brooklyn', 'state island'). To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'significant growth' or 'proportionate shift', and ensure accurate spelling of proper nouns and technical terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Tables represents', 'Manhattan city has') and incorrect article usage ('The Brooklyn', 'The Manhattan city'). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and the incomplete final sentence demonstrates a lack of control. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly. Proofreading for common errors like these will help improve your accuracy significantly.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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