Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24
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 tables illustrate the change in the population in between the years of 1800 to 2000 in different regions like, New York City and five different districts of the city.
Overall, it can be seen that number of citizens was highest in New York City in the year of 2008, and oher districts jas also followed a trend throughout the time period.
To begin with, at the initial year the population of New York City and Manhattan was very low which was 79,216 and 60,515 in the year of 1800. Whereas the number of population massively increased after that and reach to 8,009,185 for New York City and 1,538,096 for Manhattan.
On the other hand, in the other cities the change of population is generally increased as the year passed which was 18,701 in the year of 1800 and increased up to 6,471,089 in the year of 2000, included cities like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the task by summarizing the population changes, but it fails to report the data accurately. You mention 2008 as the final year, whereas the data ends in 2000. Furthermore, the grouping of the four districts into one figure is inaccurate, as the prompt provides distinct data for each. While you identify the initial and final figures for New York City and Manhattan, the lack of specific data for the other districts prevents a full overview of the main features. To improve, ensure you carefully extract data from the tables and avoid grouping distinct categories together, as this obscures the trends for individual districts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by inaccurate data reporting and some awkward phrasing. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand', but they are sometimes used mechanically or to introduce information that does not clearly contrast with the previous paragraph. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'other cities' instead of 'districts'. Improving the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a distinct, accurately described trend would enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You rely on basic verbs like 'increased' and 'followed'. There are also errors in word choice, such as referring to districts as 'cities' and the phrase 'number of population', which is redundant; 'population' alone is sufficient. Spelling errors, such as 'oher' and 'jas', also detract from the quality of the writing. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to data description, such as 'surged', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable', and ensure that you use terminology consistent with the prompt (e.g., 'districts' instead of 'cities').
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 change in the population in between the years of 1800 to 2000', which is wordy, and 'the number of population massively increased... and reach to', where the verb tense is incorrect. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and verb tense agreement limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage for historical data will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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