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 FIRST TABLE PROVIDE THE INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGES IN THE TOTAL POPULATION OF NEWYORK PERIOD FROM 1800 TO 2000.THE SECOND AND THIRD TABLE ILLUSTRATES ALTERING THE CITIZENS OF THE FIVE DISTRICTS OF THE CITY (MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, BRONX, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND) OVER THE SAME PERIOD.
OVERALL,GIVEN THE SEPERATE TABLE MANHATTAN DISTRICT. MANHATTAN HAS HALF OF THE POPULATION WHILE COMPARED TO OTHER FOUR DISTRICTS.IN THE YEAR 1800 CITY POPULATION IS 79216 IN THAT ONE MANHATTAN PAPULATION WITH 76 %.AFTER TWO YEARS POPUATION INCREASE TO [redacted phone] ON THAT FOUR DITRICTS CONTRIBUTE 81%.
MANHATTAN DISTRICTS HAS MAJORITY POPULATION WITH 76% COMPARED WITH OTHER FOUR DISTRICTS HAS 24% IN THE YEAR 1800.
AFTER ONE YEAR MANHANTTAN DISTRICT DECREASED THEIR POPULATION OTHER FOUR DISTRICTS ALMOST DOUBLED THEIR RESIDENTS.
IN THE YEAR 2000 TOTAL POPULATION IS [redacted phone] MANHATTAN DISTRICT HAS 19% COMMUNITY WITH [redacted phone]. OTHER FOUR DISYTRICTS OCCUPANTS ACCOUNTED 81% POPULATION WITH [redacted phone].
IN THE YEAR 1800 POPULATION IS LEAST LATER TWO YEARS COMMUNITY WAS INCREASED.
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 accurately interpret the data. The student misinterprets the timeline, referring to 'after two years' and 'after one year' instead of the 200-year span provided. Furthermore, the data points cited are often confusing or inaccurate, such as the claim that Manhattan's population decreased in absolute terms, which contradicts the provided table. While the main features are identified, the lack of precision and the misreading of the time intervals significantly hinder the clarity of the report. To improve, focus on accurately transcribing figures and correctly identifying the time periods shown in the charts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is minimal and often repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'in the year'. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt, and the lack of clear linking words makes the relationship between the data points difficult to follow. The structure is somewhat mechanical, and the overall flow is disjointed, which makes it challenging for the reader to grasp the trends being described. Improving the use of transition signals like 'consequently', 'whereas', or 'in contrast' would greatly enhance the coherence of the writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. Words like 'population', 'district', and 'year' are used throughout without much variation. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'altering the citizens' instead of 'changes in the population' and 'community' used incorrectly to refer to population counts. The spelling of 'Manhattan' is inconsistent, and 'disytricts' contains a typo. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of synonyms and more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'accounted for', or 'proportion'.
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 first table provide', 'table illustrates'), incorrect tense usage, and missing articles. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after periods and unnecessary capitalization throughout the text. These errors are persistent and affect the overall readability of the response. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be a good starting point for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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