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 tables below illustrate information about variation in total population of new york city in the period of 200 years from 1800 to 2000 and in other tables revels data about changes in population of five particular areas of the city over the same period of time.
Overall, table show all five cites combined population in starting period of 1800 was around 79216 but over the years it grown up drastically. The mejor contribution for this growth was from Manhattan also other districts were give their delightful contribution.
Starting with the frist table were in year 1800 population was around 79216 but it significantly grownup by the year 1900 in that year over all population of the new york city was around 34,37,202 and it was a massive change. Moreover, in year 2000 population of the city drastically grown by twice or more and the number was 8,009,185.
Data shows the main contribution for this significant growth in city population was from Manhattan in every year rather then other city. In addition Manhattan total population covers approx 76% of the total and the other such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island was 24% in year 1800. Over the period of time Manhattan in year 1900 and 2000
were around 54% or 19% where others contribution was airprox 46% or 81% which was huge from other district rather than Manhattan
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 covers the main trends and provides data from the tables. However, the analysis is hampered by significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, the claim that Manhattan contributed 76% of the population in 1800 is incorrect based on the provided figures, and the subsequent percentages mentioned for 1900 and 2000 are also inaccurate. While the response identifies the overall growth trend, the failure to accurately report and compare the specific data points significantly weakens the task achievement. The overview is present but lacks precision.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused, such as 'rather then other city' and 'where others contribution was airprox'. The progression of ideas is sometimes unclear due to awkward phrasing and grammatical errors that disrupt the flow. While there is a basic attempt at logical sequencing, the lack of precise referencing and the repetitive nature of the sentence structures limit the effectiveness of the cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are frequent spelling errors (e.g., 'revels' instead of 'reveals', 'mejor' instead of 'major', 'frist' instead of 'first', 'airprox' instead of 'approx'). The word choice is often imprecise, such as describing the population growth as a 'delightful contribution'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the data with the necessary precision required for an Academic Task 1 response, often relying on basic descriptors that do not accurately reflect the statistical changes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('table show', 'districts were give'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward sentence construction ('in that year over all population of the new york city was around 34,37,202 and it was a massive change'). Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the writer attempts some complex structures, they are often faulty, and the high frequency of errors in basic sentence formation prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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