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 table compare changes in the New York city and its five district between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the population of New York increased rapidly over the period of time between 1800 to 2000. however, Manhattan share of the total population decreased considerably, while the other four districts become much more populated.

In 1800, the population of New York City was around 79,216, which rises up to 8,009,185 between 1800 to 2000, whereas population of Manhattan was 60,515 in the year 1800 and increased over the period of time till 1,538,096 between 1800 to 2000.

Meanwhile, residents of other districts increased from 24% to 81% accounting from 18,701 to 6,471,089 between 1800 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified the main trend of population growth and the shift in distribution, the analysis is underdeveloped. You have not provided a detailed breakdown of the five districts as requested by the prompt, and the summary lacks sufficient data points to fully illustrate the changes over the two-century period. To improve, ensure you cover all parts of the task by providing more specific comparisons between the districts and extending your analysis of the data provided in the tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. However, the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'however', and 'meanwhile', but they are somewhat mechanical. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the grouping of 'other districts' is not explicitly linked to the data in the second table. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, logical focus that supports the overall summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'increased rapidly', 'increased over the period of time', and 'increased from' are used frequently, which limits the range. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'Manhattan share' (should be 'Manhattan's share') and 'become much more populated' (should be 'became'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary for describing trends, such as 'surged', 'experienced a decline', or 'accounted for a significant proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the flow of the text. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'The table compare' (should be 'compares') and 'Manhattan share' (should be 'Manhattan's share'). Tense usage is also inconsistent, switching between present and past, such as 'rises up' instead of 'rose'. While you have attempted some complex sentence structures, they are often marred by these errors. To improve, focus on consistent tense usage when describing historical data and ensure that possessives and plural forms are used correctly.

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

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