Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13
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 three table compares the changes in population population of five regions of New York city, Manhattan and other district namely Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island among 1800 and 2000.
Overall, the population of New York showed an upward trend while, Manhattan showed the same pattern but in the last year it declined sharply. By contrast, other distrcits which showed declined before recovering and followed the increasing trend oer the year.
In terms of New York and Manhattan, both showed a downwards pattern. In the beginning the population of the New York city had 79216 in 1800 which declined sharply to [redacted phone] in 2000, while tha figure for Mnahattan was showed 60515 which decreased dramatically at [redacted phone] in 20's.
In contrast, the number of people in other districts are accounted for lowest population in 1800, which was 24% in 1800 then grew consistently and followed an upward trend 46% and 81% in 1900 and in 20's respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to accurately interpret the figures. You state that the population of New York 'declined sharply' from 1800 to 2000, whereas the data shows a massive increase from 79,216 to 8,008,278. Similarly, you claim Manhattan's population decreased, which contradicts the provided table. Furthermore, the use of '20's' to refer to the year 2000 is imprecise. While you identify the main trend of growth, the factual inaccuracies regarding the data significantly undermine the task achievement. To improve, ensure you carefully read the numbers and labels before writing, and focus on reporting the actual trends shown in the tables.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by the factual errors mentioned above. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'By contrast', and 'In terms of', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or to link contradictory information. For example, you use 'By contrast' to describe a trend that is actually similar to the one previously mentioned. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences is somewhat mechanical. To improve, ensure that your linking words accurately reflect the relationship between the ideas being presented.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You use basic terms like 'upward trend', 'declined', and 'increased'. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'distrcits', 'Mnahattan', and 'oer'. The phrase '20's' is not an appropriate way to refer to the year 2000 in an academic context. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider variety of vocabulary to describe data trends, such as 'surged', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable', and pay closer attention to spelling and formal register.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The three table compares'), incorrect prepositions (e.g., 'among 1800 and 2000'), and awkward sentence structures (e.g., 'while tha figure for Mnahattan was showed 60515'). The use of articles is also inconsistent. While you attempt some complex sentences, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and using correct verb tenses when describing past data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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