Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-26
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 two illustrations below shows the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000 and other total population at another country changes, for example Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and other international law over the same period.
Overall, first of all New York City with all five districts has grown all the years. By way of illustration at 1800 only the 79,216 population has been, but it is grown in 2000 to 8,009,185, which is a big problem for New York City in all five districts. Likewise, the table of Manhattan population demonstrates with percentage (%) of total depict demographic variations. It is increase for a while, but decreased in percentage, such as 76% to only 19%. The other regions has a big demographic expansion, such as in 1800 to 18,701 population with 24% of complete to 2000 with 6,471,089 population and 81% entirety percentage.
As a result, the population growth has increased year by year, which makes a big problem for countries.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response attempts to address the task but fails to accurately interpret the data. You have included irrelevant information, such as mentioning 'international law' and describing the population growth as a 'big problem,' which is an opinion not supported by the data. While you identify the overall growth of New York City, the description of the district data is confusing and inaccurate. For instance, the claim that Manhattan's percentage decreased from 76% to 19% is not clearly linked to the provided tables. To improve, focus strictly on reporting the figures and trends shown in the charts without adding personal commentary or external concepts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear logical progression. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the ideas within the paragraphs are disjointed and difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often misused or mechanical, such as 'By way of illustration' and 'Likewise,' which do not accurately connect the ideas presented. The referencing is also unclear; for example, it is not always evident which district you are referring to when discussing 'the other regions.' Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the readability of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often inappropriate for an academic report. You rely on basic terms and struggle with collocations, such as 'entirety percentage' and 'complete to 2000.' There are also instances of word-choice errors that impede communication, such as 'other total population at another country changes' and 'international law,' which are irrelevant to the task. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using precise terminology related to data description, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' or 'accounted for,' and avoid using informal or irrelevant language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response that often make the meaning unclear. Examples include 'The two illustrations below shows' (subject-verb agreement), 'only the 79,216 population has been' (incorrect word order and tense), and 'The other regions has a big demographic expansion' (subject-verb agreement). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage for reporting past data, and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound before attempting more complex forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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