Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-28
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 shows changes in population from the year 1800 to 2000.
The first table describes changes in the population of New York City and its five districts between 1800 and 2000. In 1800, the Manhattan population was the greatest than other population that's why it makes it a dominant state.
While the Manhattan population was decreased in 2000, but other states had huge increase in population.
Overall, the population of New York City increased significantly in 2000, while other districts' population remain comparatively low. In 1800, Manhattan
had 60,515 people which represented 76% of population. By 1900, the population had increased greatly to 1,850,093, although its share fell to 54%.
Whereas, the other districts had 18,701 population in 1800, that was the 24% of the total population, while, in 2000, the population was arround 6,471,089 and the percentage that contributed 81% of total population,
In conclusion, the New York City had most population in 1800, while, the lowest population in 1900 was other districts, while the New York City had dramaticely change in population in 2000
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, such as the overall growth of New York City and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student identifies the 1800 and 2000 figures but fails to provide a nuanced comparison of the intermediate trends or the specific growth patterns of the individual districts mentioned in the prompt. The conclusion is repetitive and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends. To reach a higher band, the response should more effectively synthesise the data rather than simply listing figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by awkward transitions and repetitive phrasing. While some cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'While', 'Overall', 'In conclusion'), they are often applied mechanically or incorrectly, such as the use of 'While' to start sentences that do not express a contrast. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when referring to 'other states' or 'other districts', which creates confusion for the reader. The flow of ideas is disjointed, making the overall argument difficult to follow at times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'greatest', 'huge', and 'increased'. The student makes several word-choice errors, such as referring to districts as 'states' and using 'dramaticely' (spelling error) and 'arround' (spelling error). The range is limited, and the student struggles to use more sophisticated academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'surpassed', or 'accounted for'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the Manhattan population was decreased', 'population remain comparatively low') and awkward phrasing ('the Manhattan population was the greatest than other population'). Punctuation is also problematic, with run-on sentences and misused commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is high enough to cause some difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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