Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02
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 illustrates modification in the overall proportion of New York City from 1800 to 2000.Five districts population presents given by second and third tables in total the same duration.
Overall, in the initial given year New York City was the least amount in contrast another twice year were the highest amount of population registered. Therefore Manhattan district opposite order reported compare with New York City. Other districts in the beginning year it would be lower range of population. Another part of years are huge number of population grew.
Firstly New York City in 1800 was the least number of population illustrated at 79,216 while other 2 years 1900, 2000 are huge number of people presented at 3,437,202 and 8,[redacted phone]. However in the district of Manhattan in the earlier was more residents are presented in contrast with other 2 years in 1800 population at 76% similarly 54% in 1900 after wards slighted went down at 19% in 2000.
On the other hand other districts residents in 2000 was the large amount of people reported at 81% in 6,471,089 also double declined in 1900 at 46% in 1,587,109 individuals. However in 1800 was the lower range of individuals are lived in the 5 districts along.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| 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 struggles with clarity and accuracy. While you identify the overall population growth and the shift in Manhattan's proportion, the interpretation of the data is often confusing. For instance, stating 'New York City was the least amount' is imprecise; it should refer to the population size. Furthermore, the comparison between the total population and the percentage distribution of districts is disjointed. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between raw numbers and percentages, and focus on highlighting the most significant trends rather than listing individual figures without sufficient analysis or synthesis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. Transitions between sentences are often mechanical or missing, making it difficult to follow the comparison. Phrases like 'another part of years' and 'after wards slighted went down' are confusing and disrupt the flow of information. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly' and 'On the other hand', they are not always used appropriately to link related ideas. Improving the use of referencing (e.g., using 'the former' or 'the latter') and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often inaccurate, which hinders the clarity of your report. You frequently use words incorrectly, such as 'modification' instead of 'changes', 'proportion' instead of 'population', and 'slighted' instead of 'slightly'. The phrasing 'huge number of population grew' is unnatural and lacks the precision required for academic writing. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'significant increase', 'proportionate share', and 'declined steadily', while ensuring that your word choices are contextually appropriate for describing statistical trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Issues include incorrect verb tenses ('are lived'), missing articles, and awkward sentence structures ('Five districts population presents given by second and third tables'). The sentence construction is often fragmented or run-on, making it hard to identify the subject and verb clearly. You rely heavily on simple structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors. Focusing on basic sentence construction—ensuring every sentence has a clear subject, verb, and object—will help reduce these errors and improve the overall readability of your work.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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