Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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)

Firstly we are going to discuss about changes in the total population of New York city from 1800 to 2000.

Secondly about changes in the population of the five districts of the city which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island.

In 1800 population start going on low scale, later it start increasing rapidly. As we can see in the given table in 1800 it was seventy nine thousand two hundred sixteen .

In 1900 it was thirty four lakh thirty seven thousand two hundred two. In 2000 it was eighty lakh nine thousand one hundred eighty five.

If we talk about seperate districts of New York, in Manhattan

district there will be a decrease in population over the prospective years. Like in 1800 it was seventy six percent of total population. In 1900 it was fifty four percent of total population. And in 2000 it was only nineteen percent.

In other districts there is not as such like fixed proportion increase or decrease. Sometimes it will increase sometime

decrease.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to adequately address the task. While it mentions the total population and the districts, the analysis is superficial and lacks a clear overview of the main trends. The student uses informal language like 'If we talk about' and 'not as such like', which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. Furthermore, the data representation is problematic; the student uses non-standard numbering (e.g., 'thirty four lakh') which is not suitable for an international exam, and the description of the district data is vague and lacks specific comparisons or supporting figures for most districts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into very short, disjointed paragraphs that lack logical flow. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and repetitive, such as starting sentences with 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In'. There is no clear progression of ideas, and the transition between the total population data and the district-specific data is abrupt. The lack of complex linking words or varied referencing makes the text feel like a list of observations rather than a cohesive report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic phrasing and struggles to describe numerical data accurately. The use of 'lakh' is inappropriate for an IELTS Academic task, which requires standard international numerical notation. There is a lack of precision in describing trends; for example, 'start going on low scale' is not standard English. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with the necessary academic tone or precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('it start increasing') and tense inconsistencies ('there will be a decrease' when describing past data). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, and the overall control of grammar is weak, which occasionally impedes the clarity of the information being presented.

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

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