Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-01
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 chart illustrates the changes in the sum of residents of various cities of New York and in the five other sectors of some cities between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, it is evident that the community increased in New York's all five sectors while, Manhattan population decreased through out the period. In contrast, other districts showed gradual increase over the period.
In 1800, New York city's population of all the five sectors stood at 79,216 and dramatically increased at 3,437,202 in 1900. In the year 2000 experienced a rapid growth at the figure 8,009,185.
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 meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. Because the text is only 95 words long, the analysis is severely underdeveloped. You have provided an overview and some data for the total population, but you have failed to report on the specific trends for the five individual districts, which was a core requirement of the prompt. To improve, you must ensure you cover all parts of the task, including comparing the growth rates of the different boroughs, and provide a more comprehensive summary of the data provided in the tables.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into an introduction, an overview, and one body paragraph. While there is a basic logical progression, the lack of development makes the overall structure feel incomplete. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In contrast' and 'Overall', but the limited length prevents the use of a wider range of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is cut short, leaving the response feeling fragmented. To improve, ensure you have enough content to support a clear, multi-paragraph structure that fully explores the data.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'sum of residents' and 'community increased' are functional but not particularly academic. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'New York's all five sectors'. To improve, aim for more sophisticated vocabulary related to data description, such as 'demographic trends', 'fluctuations', or 'proportionate growth'. You should also focus on using more precise terminology when describing the changes in the tables.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect clarity, such as 'In the year 2000 experienced a rapid growth', which is missing a subject, and 'New York city's population of all the five sectors', which is slightly awkward. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure is often simplistic. To improve, focus on ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or passive voice to describe the data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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