Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-13
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 three tables show that the population of New York city and the changes in the population of Manhattan and other districts Brooklyn , Bronx , Queens, Staten island in 1800,1900 and 2000. overall, the population of new York city increased significantly over the period. Manhattan had the largest shared the population in 1800,but the percentage decreased considerably by 2000. In contrast ,the other district much more populated.
In 1800, the total population of New York city was 79,216. Manhattan had 60,515 people, which respected 76% of the total population. The other districts had only 18701 people of the 24 % population.
In 1900, the total population was to 3,437,202 . Manhattan population increased to 1,850,093, but its shared 54% population. the population of the other districts also grow 1.587,109,and shared 46% population.
By 2000, the total population reached 8,009,185. Manhattan population had the 1,538,096 and shared 19% and other districts increased population 6,471,089 shared 81% 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 student attempts to address the prompt by summarising the main features of the population tables for New York City and its five districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. An overview is attempted in the introduction, noting the overall increase in population and the shift in Manhattan's share. However, the response contains several inaccurate references to the data provided. For instance, the student states that Manhattan had 'the largest shared the population in 1800' and miscalculates figures in places, such as stating the other districts had '18701 people of the 24 % population' in 1800 (when the table shows 18,701 total for those districts combined, but the arithmetic and percentages are somewhat jumbled). Furthermore, key comparisons are rudimentary and underdeveloped, placing the response at a Band 5.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical chronological progression from 1800 to 2000, which gives it a basic framework. However, cohesion within and between sentences is frequently faulty and mechanical. Phrases like 'which respected 76%' (intended for 'represented') and abrupt transitions between sentences disrupt the flow. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal referencing and logical links are often unclear or awkward, such as starting paragraphs with isolated data points without a guiding overview or clear cohesive ties. This level of organisation aligns with a Band 5.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, relying heavily on fundamental terms such as 'population', 'increase', 'district', and 'shared'. There are frequent word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'largest shared the population', 'its shared 54% population', and 'grow' used instead of 'grew'. Spelling and morphological errors ('respected' instead of 'represented') also appear. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic subject matter, the lack of flexibility and precision keeps it at a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('grow' instead of 'grew'), missing prepositions, awkward relative clauses ('which respected 76%'), and incorrect article usage ('the other district much more populated'). Punctuation is also problematic, with spaces before commas and periods. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a Band 5.0 grammatical profile.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.