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 given table demonstrates the data which represents the overall population change in the US over the three decades.The Americans occupies the significant proportion of individuals in the year 2000 whereas ,in 1900 the reduction was noticed in the number of individuals which was 4 times half than the population in the year 2000.Nevertheless,the lowest number of population was recorded in the year 1800 at 79216.The second table also illustrates the number of individuals along with their proportions given per year.The Manhattan constitues of the greatest number of population in the year 1800which occupies almost half of the population.In contrast,the lesser number of individuals were recorded in the year 2000 in the district Manhattan.The other table also elucidates the percentage of the population residing in the specific districts.However, the considerable number of individuals were seen in the year 2000 as it occupies half of the district.The lower number of individuals were reported in the year 1800 at about 24%.
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 fails to accurately interpret the provided data. You misidentified the subject as 'US' instead of 'New York City' and incorrectly stated the timeframe as 'three decades' when the data spans two centuries (1800–2000). Furthermore, the analysis of the population figures is confusing and mathematically inaccurate, such as the claim that 1900 was '4 times half' the population of 2000. While you attempted to select main features, the lack of clarity and factual errors regarding the data mean the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure you carefully read the prompt and labels before writing, and focus on reporting clear, comparative trends rather than listing isolated, inaccurate figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear structure. It is written as a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow. While there are some cohesive devices used, such as 'Nevertheless' and 'In contrast', they are often used inappropriately or do not logically connect the ideas. The progression of information is disjointed, jumping between years and districts without a clear focus. To improve, organize your response into distinct paragraphs: an introduction, an overview of the main trends, and body paragraphs that group related data logically. Ensure that each sentence flows naturally from the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often used incorrectly. Phrases like 'constitues of' (should be 'constitutes') and 'the Americans occupies' (should be 'Americans occupied') indicate a lack of control over word choice and grammar. You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle to express the data precisely. For example, 'reduction was noticed' is vague. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to data description, such as 'experienced a decline' or 'accounted for a significant proportion'. Avoid repeating the same words and try to use more precise terminology to describe trends and proportions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Americans occupies', 'Manhattan constitues'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence construction. The punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas (e.g., 'whereas ,in'). The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns, subject-verb agreement, and correct punctuation. Proofreading your work for these fundamental errors before submitting is essential to improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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