Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-15

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 upper table illustrates difference in the total population of New York city over the period of time from 1800 to 2000 and furthermore the next two tables depicts the similar changes of four major areas of the city which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island in the same time duration.

Firstly as per records the overall population of the city gradually rose as per the time which was priorly in thousands and then changed to millions in numerical therefore in last it made up-to 8 million people in the New York city.

Now meanwhile the highest number of residents in the year 1800 were settled in Manhattan which over the age changed and became least residents by 2000 in the same area whereas other regions got developed and citizen shifted in such areas like Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and more other by which approximately 80 percent of population settle there.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to adequately address the task requirements. While it identifies the general trend of population growth, it fails to report the specific data points provided in the tables. The instructions require selecting and reporting main features and making comparisons, but the response lacks specific figures (e.g., the population in 1800 vs 2000) and fails to accurately represent the data for the five districts. The summary is too vague and relies on generalizations rather than the provided statistical evidence. To improve, you must incorporate specific data from the tables to support your descriptions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is a standard structure. However, the progression of ideas is weak. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes awkward, such as 'Now meanwhile' and 'in numerical therefore in last'. These transitions do not effectively link the ideas. The referencing is also unclear; for example, the mention of 'four major areas' is factually incorrect as the prompt lists five districts. The overall flow is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison of the data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'over the age changed' and 'citizen shifted' are unnatural and imprecise. There is a lack of academic vocabulary suitable for describing data trends (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'peaked', 'remained stable', 'accounted for'). The word choice often impedes clarity, such as 'priorly in thousands', which is not standard English. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise terminology for describing statistical changes and avoid informal phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('the next two tables depicts'), incorrect word forms ('difference' instead of 'differences'), and awkward sentence structures. The range of grammatical structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple or poorly constructed complex sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with a lack of necessary commas to separate clauses. Improving your control over basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will significantly enhance your score.

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

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