Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29
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 enlists the variations in the population of New York City from 1800 to 2000.
The second and third graph charts indicate the changes in community of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island)
over the same period of time.
Overall, the population of New York City is the highest in contrast to the other cities mentioned in the charts. Included in those other districts is Manhattan which showed the lowest population rate.
First off, the city that never sleeps also called the Big Apple or New York city is so far the only city that has the highest number of residents approximately 8,009,185 in the year 2000 and it shows a pretty high rate in the years 1900 and 1800 too which are shown in the table diagram as
79,216 and 3,437,202 respectively.
second off, the city called Manhattan is the least most dominant and shows a population rate of about 60,515 approximately 76% in the year 1800 and in the year 1900 it showed a data indicating population rate of 1,850,093 and a percentage of 54%. In 2000, the percentage dropped about 35% from the previous years.
Thirdly, Other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island account for about 24% population in the year 1800 and approximately 46% and 81% in the following years of 1900 and 2000.
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 attempts to summarise the data but fails to accurately interpret the tables. The student incorrectly identifies Manhattan as a separate city rather than a district of New York, and the comparison between the total population and the district percentages is confusing. The data points provided for 1800 and 1900 are misquoted or misattributed, leading to a failure to clearly report the main features. The analysis lacks a clear overview of the trends, such as the significant growth in Queens and the Bronx, and instead focuses on irrelevant descriptions like 'the city that never sleeps'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inappropriate, such as 'First off' and 'second off', which are too informal for an Academic Task 1 report. Referencing is often unclear, particularly when discussing the districts versus the city as a whole. While there is an attempt to group information, the lack of clear transitions between the data sets makes the report difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often inaccurate. Phrases like 'enlists the variations' and 'least most dominant' are unnatural and demonstrate a lack of precision. The student relies on informal language ('Big Apple', 'city that never sleeps') which is inappropriate for an academic report. There is little evidence of a range of vocabulary suitable for describing statistical trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'surged', or 'accounted for'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the second and third graph charts indicate', and awkward phrasing like 'shows a data indicating population rate'. Punctuation is inconsistent, and the sentence structures are repetitive. While some complex sentences are attempted, they are often poorly constructed, leading to confusion regarding the intended meaning.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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