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 demonstrated table charts show information about the entire change had happened in the population of New York City along with the transformations in the five districts named Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island in three decades.
Overall, it is clear that New York had the highest population in 2000, while significant change was observed in Manhattan. Moreover, in the rest of the states2000 showed the major change.
In the first two decades, a difference of 3,45,2014 was noticed and these numbers were inclined to 8,009,185 in the last century. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, the population was stood at 60515 and this was 76% of the total population, but in the next centuries, the total percentage was declined slightly to 19% with the population of [redacted phone] in 1800 and [redacted phone] in 2000.
Moving further, only 18,701 population was recorded in 1800 century with total of 24%, whereas, in the upcoming two decades, half of the total population was [redacted phone], but this was dramatically increased to [redacted phone] with the total of 81%.
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 attempts to summarise the data but fails to provide a clear or accurate overview. The information presented is often confusing and factually inconsistent with the provided tables. For instance, the claim that the population was 3,45,2014 in the first two decades is unclear and inaccurate. Furthermore, the response fails to cover all five districts, focusing only on Manhattan and a vague mention of others. The lack of clear data selection and the inclusion of confusing figures mean that the main features are not effectively reported, preventing the response from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'Moving further', the connections between sentences are often strained or illogical. The referencing is frequently unclear, particularly when discussing the districts, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison of data over time. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a clear focus, leading to a disjointed presentation of the statistical information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and often used inaccurately. Phrases like 'the entire change had happened' and 'the population was stood at' are grammatically incorrect and unnatural. There is a lack of precision in reporting data, and the student struggles to use appropriate terminology for describing trends (e.g., 'inclined to' is used incorrectly to mean 'increased to'). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, but the frequent errors in word choice and collocation hinder the overall quality of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with verb tense consistency, such as 'the population was stood at', and incorrect sentence structures, such as 'in the 1800 century'. The use of complex structures is attempted but often results in errors, such as 'the total percentage was declined slightly'. While simple sentences are generally understandable, the lack of control over more complex grammatical forms and the presence of persistent errors in basic syntax limit the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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