Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-05
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 is about the population of new york city's five districts (Manhattan,Brooklyn,Queens,Staten island ,Bronx)
that is showing years and numer of population in that year of all five dist.
in 1800 the population was 79,216
in 1900 the population was 3,437,202 and
in 2000 it was 8,009,185
the 2nd table is showing number of population in diffrent years and as percentage of total population in the dist. Manhattan
so in 1800 the population was 60,515 it was 76% of total population
in 1900 population was 1,850,093 it was 54% of total population
and in 2000 the populatain was 1,538,096 and that was 19% of total population
and the 3rd table is showing population of other 4 dist. (brooklyn, bronx, queens , staten island ) and as percentage of total population
as per the given information in 1800 number of population was 18,701 it was 24% of total population
in 1900 it was 1,587,109 that is 46% of total population
and lastly in 2000 the population was 6,471,089 that is 81% of total population
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 covers the main features of the data, but it lacks an overview or a summary of the key trends. It essentially lists the data points from the tables without synthesizing the information or making meaningful comparisons. For instance, it notes the population figures for 1800, 1900, and 2000 but fails to highlight the significant growth trend or the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. To reach a higher band, you must provide a clear overview that identifies the most significant changes and trends across the period, rather than just reporting individual figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is mechanical and repetitive. Each paragraph follows a similar structure of listing data points, which makes the writing feel like a list rather than a cohesive report. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link the information; for example, the use of 'so' and 'and' is quite basic. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall flow would benefit from more sophisticated linking words and a clearer logical structure that guides the reader through the data comparisons.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use the phrase 'the population was' and 'it was X% of total population'. There is little attempt to use a range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'increased significantly', 'declined', 'accounted for', or 'represented'. The spelling of 'numer', 'diffrent', and 'populatain' indicates a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, you should incorporate a wider variety of verbs and nouns related to data description and ensure accurate spelling throughout your response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There is a lack of complex sentence forms, which limits your ability to express relationships between the data points. Punctuation is inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and inconsistent capitalization of proper nouns like 'new york city' and 'staten island'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequent grammatical errors and the lack of structural variety prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence variety and basic punctuation rules will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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