Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-16
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)
This tables shows the total population of the New York City from 1800 to 2000 time century. And then there are shows the different types of countries in this tables.
Overall, The one of the highest percentage in this diagrams are in the year of 1900. This three tables shows the three different types of tables like there increase in decrease trend of data in this tables. The first one tables shows the New York city population up the three years. There are in year of 1800 population was 79,216 and in 1900 year population was 3,437,202 and in 2000 year population was 8,009,185. In another city Manhattan population was in year of 1800 population was 60,515 and percentage was 76% another year in 1900 population was [redacted phone] and their total population was 54%,and another year total 2000 was 1,538,096 and their total population was 19%.
There are showing different categories of population and their population. And then third tables shows the other districts like Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten Island. There are year of 1800 population are 18,701 and there total population was 24%. Then year of 1900 total population was 1,587,109 and total per are 46% and another year population was highly like 6,471,089 and total population was 81%.
And this tables shows the total population of the New York City from 1800 to 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear overview or effectively highlight the main trends. The data selection is somewhat mechanical, simply listing figures rather than comparing them meaningfully. For instance, the report mentions population figures for 1800, 1900, and 2000 but fails to synthesize the information to show the overall growth trend or the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. The summary is underdeveloped and lacks a clear focus on the significant changes over the two-century period, which is essential for a high-scoring response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is repetitive and often misused, such as the frequent, awkward use of 'And then' and 'another year'. The referencing is unclear; for example, the phrase 'The one of the highest percentage in this diagrams' is confusing and does not effectively link to the data. The structure feels disjointed, with sentences appearing as a list of facts rather than a cohesive analysis of the provided tables.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'tables', 'population', and 'year'. There are several inaccuracies in word choice, such as referring to the districts as 'countries' and using 'total per' instead of 'percentage'. The lack of variety in reporting verbs and descriptive language prevents the response from demonstrating a sufficient range for the task. The phrasing is often unnatural, which hinders the clarity of the information presented.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('This tables shows'), article usage ('the New York City'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or poorly constructed, such as 'There are in year of 1800 population was 79,216'. While the meaning is generally discernible, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation significantly impacts the readability of the text. There is very little evidence of complex sentence structures, and those attempted are often inaccurate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.