Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-17
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 first table indicates that the total population of new yeark city changes from 1800 to 2000. the second and third tables highlights changes in the population of the five districts of the cities. in 1800 new york city population is far ahead of manhattan and brooklyn, bronx, queens. in 1800 as per percentage of total population was around 76% but in other cities it was around 24%. furthermore, in 1900 new york population had ahead with huge margin than other cities districts. population percentage was about 54% in manhattan and 46% was in other districts. now, if we talk about 2000, then, here we can also see new yark is still ahead of the olthers. for examples, in 2000 new york population were near to [redacted phone] while the others had ([redacted phone]) 19% and ([redacted phone]) 81% in other districts. so there was the overall changing had been happing between new york, manhattan and other districts.
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 summarize the data but fails to clearly distinguish between the total population table and the district-specific tables. The analysis is confusing, particularly the attempt to compare 'New York City' as a whole against its own districts, which suggests a misunderstanding of the data provided. While some figures are cited, the interpretation is inaccurate (e.g., claiming NYC was 'ahead' of its own districts). The response lacks a clear overview of the main trends, such as the significant population growth over the two centuries. To improve, focus on identifying the overall growth trend and grouping the districts logically rather than listing individual percentages in a disjointed manner.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is written as a single paragraph, which hinders readability and logical progression. There is a lack of effective cohesive devices; transitions like 'furthermore' and 'now, if we talk about' are used, but they do not create a smooth flow between ideas. The referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow which data point relates to which year or district. To improve, use clear paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, overview, and specific data comparisons, and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'far ahead of' and 'huge margin' are used to describe statistical data, which is not appropriate for an academic report. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'new yeark' and 'olthers'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with precision. To improve, incorporate more academic terminology related to data description, such as 'experienced significant growth', 'accounted for', or 'a substantial increase'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the second and third tables highlights'), incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'overall changing had been happing'), and missing articles. Sentence structures are generally simple and lack the complexity required for higher bands. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of parentheses and commas. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that tenses are used consistently when describing historical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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