Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-18
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 rendered table depicts the information about the changes in the total population of New York city between 1800 and 2000. The population of the five districts of the city under the same period.
Overall, the maximum count of population in 2000 in New york city and other districts,while the minimum figure of population in 1800 aspect Manhattan.
In detail, 79,216 populace in New York city in 1800. In 1900, it increased and reached at 3,437,202 in New York city. The highest population in 2000. Which was 8,009,185 populace in New york city. Furthermore, former year population were 60,515 and as a percentage its 76 percent. In 1900, 1,850,093 populace in Manhattan and as a percentage it stood at 54 percent. Last year, Manhattan population was 19 percent. Other districts population in 1800, 18,701 population in other district as a percentage 24 percent. 1,587,109 population in 1900 and as a percentage it stood at 46 percent and 81 percent in 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 cover the data but fails to provide a clear or accurate summary. The overview is confusing and grammatically incomplete, failing to highlight the most significant trends effectively. While the response mentions figures for 1800, 1900, and 2000, the selection of data is disjointed, and the comparison between Manhattan and the other districts is difficult to follow. The report lacks a clear structure to present the main features, and some of the data interpretation is unclear, such as the reference to 'former year population'. To improve, you must focus on identifying the most striking trends—such as the massive overall growth and the shifting population distribution—rather than listing isolated figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks logical progression. The sentences are often disconnected, and the paragraphing is ineffective, with the 'In detail' section becoming a list of statistics rather than a cohesive analysis. Cohesive devices are used in a very mechanical and sometimes incorrect way, such as the abrupt transition 'Furthermore, former year population were...'. The referencing is also unclear; it is often difficult to determine which data point refers to which district or year. To achieve a higher score, you should use linking words to connect ideas logically and ensure each paragraph has a clear focus, such as one for the total population and one for the district breakdown.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'populace' incorrectly; 'population' is the correct term for the number of people. Phrases like 'maximum count of population' and 'minimum figure of population' are unnatural. There is little evidence of a range of vocabulary suitable for describing data trends (e.g., 'surged', 'accounted for', 'proportion'). The word choice is often imprecise, which hinders the clarity of the report. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to data description, such as 'accounted for a significant proportion' or 'experienced a steady increase'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. Many sentences are fragments or lack a main verb, such as 'The population of the five districts of the city under the same period.' Subject-verb agreement is often incorrect, and there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'reached at 3,437,202'). The sentence structures are simple and repetitive, with very few attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction—ensuring every sentence has a subject and a verb—and practice using complex structures like relative clauses or contrastive conjunctions to link your ideas more effectively.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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