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 table illustrates the proportions of New York City population and changes between Manhattan and other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, queens, Staten Island) between 1800, 1900 and 2000.
Overall, the population of New York City remain constantly high over the period between all the years. In 1800 the Manhattan and New York City population slightly oscillate. Whereas, other four districts substantial difference about 25% of population.
In 1800, New York City had about 79,216 numbers of population Manhattan which are ceaselessly 60,515 about 76%, while other four districts are considerably declined 18,701 numbers of population.
By 1900, population of New York City increased dramatically by this time period about 3,437,202 and Manhattan population rose about 54% (1,850,093). Other districts slightly rose 1,587,109 numbers of population around 46%.
In the 2000, New York City's population significantly increased by 8,009,185, while Manhattan's population considerably declined in 2000 about 1,538,096 numbers around 19% of population. In the contrast the population of other districts up surged enormously about 81% of 6,471,089 numbers.
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 covers the main features of the data, including the total population growth and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is hampered by significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, stating that the population 'remained constantly high' contradicts the data, which shows a massive increase from 79,216 to over 8 million. Furthermore, the description of the 1800 data is confusing, and the claim that Manhattan's population 'declined' in 2000 is inaccurate; the table shows it grew in absolute numbers, even if its percentage share of the total decreased. The report lacks a clear, accurate summary of the trends, leading to a failure to fully address the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the chronological structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused, such as 'Whereas, other four districts substantial difference' and 'In the contrast the population'. These transitions do not effectively link ideas or clarify the relationships between the data points. The progression of information is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the comparison between Manhattan and the other districts is unclear. While there is an overall attempt at a logical flow, the lack of precise linking words and occasional awkward phrasing limits the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and often imprecise. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'numbers of population' (which is redundant), 'ceaselessly 60,515', and 'up surged'. The student attempts to use more advanced vocabulary like 'oscillate' and 'significantly', but these are often used incorrectly in context. The repetition of 'numbers of population' throughout the text indicates a lack of lexical variety. While the meaning is generally discernible, the errors in word choice and the lack of precision in describing statistical trends prevent the response from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('population... remain'), missing articles ('in 2000', 'in 1800'), and awkward sentence construction ('New York City had about 79,216 numbers of population Manhattan'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the structural errors are persistent. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to cause difficulty for the reader and demonstrate a lack of control over complex grammatical forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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