Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-27

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 give us information about total population of New York from 1800 to 2000. On the left side, we can see the year like 1800, 1900, 2000. On the other side, We can see the population 79,216, 3,437,202 and 8,009,185.

The second table show changes in population in Manhattan, In !800 population is 60,515 it's the 76% of the total population or in 1900 the population is 54% as percentage of total population, In 2000, the population is 19% of the total population as percentage.

In last one, They describe other district like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island. In the year of 1800 the population is 18,701 as 24% of the total percentage. In 1900 the population is 1,587,109 as 46% of the total percentage. In 2000, the total population is 6,471,089 as 81% percentage of the total population.

In conclusion, all the graph is related to the increasing or decreasing population in New York different cities or districts comparing with the years from 1800 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear overview or highlight significant trends. The data selection is mechanical, simply listing figures rather than comparing them effectively. For instance, the report mentions specific percentages for Manhattan and other districts but fails to synthesize the broader trend of population shifting away from Manhattan toward the other four districts over the two centuries. The inclusion of data is somewhat disjointed, and the 'conclusion' is too vague, failing to summarize the main features as required by the task instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is repetitive and lacks logical progression. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and often mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'In [year] the population is...'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when grouping the four districts together as 'the last one'. The overall structure lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands, making the text feel like a list of data points rather than a cohesive analytical report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on the words provided in the prompt. There is little attempt to use a range of vocabulary to describe trends (e.g., 'increased', 'declined', 'surpassed', 'proportion'). Phrases like 'the year of 1800' and 'as percentage of the total population' are used repeatedly, which limits the lexical variety. To improve, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to data reporting and avoid repeating the same sentence structures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The first table give', 'The second table show') and punctuation errors (e.g., 'In !800'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and the lack of varied sentence structures prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to verb tenses and consistent sentence construction is needed.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.