Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03
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 charts illustrate the information about the population of a New York city between 1800 and 2000 which are measure in numbers and the total numbers of citizens of other five districts which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island from 1800 to 2000 which are
measured in percentage.
In 1800, The total number of US citizen lived in New York from about 79,216 after that, the population grew steadily accounted for 3,437,202 over a century. By 2000, the proportion of US citizen rose dramatically about 8,009,185.
Manhattan, other four district population were 76% and 24% in 1800 respectively. In 1900, Manhattan citizen increased rapidly from 60,515 to 1,850,093. Whereas, other district population almost doubbled
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 incomplete and stops abruptly, the overview is missing, and the data is not fully reported. While the student attempts to identify some trends, the analysis is superficial and fails to cover the five districts adequately or make meaningful comparisons across the full 200-year period. The failure to complete the task prevents a higher score, as the information provided is insufficient to satisfy the requirements of an Academic Task 1 report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is disjointed due to the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used in a very mechanical and sometimes inaccurate way, such as 'after that' and 'whereas'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the districts, making it difficult for the reader to follow the logic of the data presentation. The lack of a concluding summary or a cohesive overview further hinders the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'charts', 'numbers', and 'increased'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'US citizen lived' instead of 'the population of US citizens' and 'doubbled' (spelling error). The vocabulary is generally sufficient to convey basic meaning but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. The student struggles to use academic terminology effectively to describe statistical trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but these are often marred by grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect verb tenses ('lived' instead of 'was'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('which are measure in numbers'). Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is high enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. The grammatical control is inconsistent, and the sentence structures are often fragmented or poorly constructed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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