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)

Here we can witness the population level of different cities.Firstly we can have a look on New York city’s population over different years. In 1800s, the population of New York city was 79,216 which i consider not much populated number but then we can clearly see the increasing number in population and in 1900s, the number reaches to 3,437,202. Moreover in 2000s, the rate of growth in population increases about 8,009,185 which is a significant increasing number in population.

Moreover, if we talk about specific areas like Manhattan and and other districts like Brooklyn, Bronc, Queens, and Staten Island, the rate of population of Manhattan is visibly higher than the other districts in 1800s as well as in 1900s but eventually, the population grew by time in other districts and it increases very rapidly in 2000s and we can see the noticeable difference between Manhattan’s population and other district’s population on the given graph as more people move to the other districts rather than Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main trends but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band. While you mention the overall population growth and compare Manhattan to other districts, the report is overly descriptive and relies on personal commentary (e.g., 'I consider not much populated'). You failed to highlight key data points effectively or provide a clear overview of the trends. The comparison between districts is somewhat vague, and you missed the opportunity to synthesize the data by grouping the districts or noting the shift in population distribution over the two centuries. To improve, focus on reporting the data objectively and identifying the most significant changes rather than narrating the numbers.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into two paragraphs, which is a logical structure for this task. However, the use of cohesive devices is repetitive and somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on 'Moreover' and 'Firstly'. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the phrase 'the rate of growth in population increases about 8,009,185', which is grammatically confusing and makes the logical progression difficult to follow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, often relying on basic terms like 'number', 'population', and 'increases'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'not much populated number' and 'rate of growth... increases about'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the information. To reach a higher band, you need to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'remained stable', 'dramatically', or 'proportionally'. The spelling of 'Bronc' (instead of Bronx) is also a minor inaccuracy that affects the professional tone of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the number reaches to' (incorrect preposition), 'the population grew by time' (incorrect preposition), and 'the rate of population of Manhattan is visibly higher' (clunky phrasing). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence construction is often awkward, which forces the reader to re-read to understand the intended meaning. You should focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing statistical data.

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

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