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)

The table illustrates modifying in total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000. The second and third table show changes in citizens of the five district of city over the same time.

Overall, there are three diffrent types table demonstarates ,in which one table show the New York City population moreover second and third table shows the the ratio of total citizens.

Initially, the first table show the total five districts population. At the 1800 year show the lowest population about 79,216. After that minimum people show in 1900 year is around 3,437,20. In contrast at the 2000 year highest population as compared to another years.

furthermore, the district of New York City are Manhattan and other districts. At the 1800 of the year overall people ratio is high as compared to the other years about 76% moreover the other districts percentage at the same year is low about 24%.In contrast at the year of 1900 the ratio of Manhattan is highest compared to the other districts. On the other hand in 2000 the citizen ratio are minimum as compared to other districts.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear or accurate summary of the data. The main features are not effectively highlighted; for instance, the description of the population figures is confusing, and the interpretation of the percentages for Manhattan versus other districts is inaccurate based on the provided tables. The response lacks a clear overview, and the information is presented in a disjointed manner that does not allow the reader to grasp the trends over the 200-year period. To improve, you must focus on identifying the most significant changes and comparing them accurately rather than listing isolated figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or incorrect, such as the repetitive use of 'at the 1800 year' and 'in contrast at the year of 1900'. Referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult to follow which data point is being discussed. The introduction is repetitive and does not clearly state what the tables represent. To reach a higher band, you should use a wider range of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that contributes to the overall summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often inaccurate. There are several errors in word choice and form, such as 'modifying' instead of 'changes' or 'trends', and 'citizens' used to describe population counts. The spelling of 'diffrent' and 'demonstarates' is incorrect. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with precision, relying on basic structures that do not allow for a sophisticated analysis of the data. You should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'accounted for', and 'proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with article usage ('the 1800 year', 'the five district'), subject-verb agreement ('table show', 'citizen ratio are'), and sentence structure. Complex sentence structures are largely absent, and the simple sentences used are often flawed. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly regarding the placement of commas. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly before nouns.

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

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