Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14
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)
First of all we have seen a table about the population of New York from 1800 to 2000. The 2nd and 3rd table also have information about five districts of the city over the same time.
Conclusion of all the tables shows that only in Manhanttan district the average percentage is decreasing and rest of the other districts percentage is rapidly increasing year by year.
In the first table we have seen there is a population numbers of all five districts over the years. In 1800 the population is 79,216 but in 1900 it increased by many numbers and the now it is 3,437,202. Then we see that in 2000 the numbers increased in a huge way and the total population in 2000 was 8,009,185. This shows us that the population percentage was increasing over the years in New York.
In the 2nd and 3rd table we have different districts population average over the time period. We seen a huge difference about the population between Manhattan and all the other 4 districts. In all 4 districts like Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten Island the population percentage was increasing about 24% in 1800, 46% in 1900 and 81% in 2000. But in Manhattan the percentage was 76 in 1800, 54% in 1900 and 19% in 2000. This is clearly showing us the huge deficit in population numbers.
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 provided tables regarding the population of New York City and its five districts. However, the interpretation of the data contains significant inaccuracies and misreadings. For instance, the writer states that the population of Manhattan is decreasing while others are rapidly increasing, and incorrectly interprets percentage shares of the total population as percentage growth rates across the districts (e.g., claiming Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island were 24% in 1800, 46% in 1900, and 81% in 2000). While the total population figures for the city are partially reported, the main features of the district tables are not accurately or clearly presented. The overview is overly simplistic ('Conclusion of all the tables shows...'). Consequently, the response falls under Band 5 because it addresses the task only partially and contains inaccurate reporting of key data trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into four paragraphs, beginning with a brief introductory statement, followed by an overview/conclusion, and two body paragraphs. However, the logical progression is weak and lacks a cohesive framework typical of Academic Task 1 reports. The writer relies heavily on conversational phrasing and meta-language, such as 'First of all we have seen a table about...' and 'Then we see that...', which creates a disjointed and mechanical flow. Furthermore, referencing and cohesive devices are limited and repetitive, with transitions failing to smoothly connect ideas between the tables and the district breakdowns. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within the paragraphs remains flawed, resulting in an overall score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is largely basic and repetitive, struggling to accurately convey statistical concepts. Phrases like 'increased by many numbers', 'increased in a huge way', and 'huge deficit in population numbers' demonstrate a limited range and imprecise word choice. The student attempts some less common items such as 'percentage' and 'district', but struggles with appropriate collocations and accurate reporting vocabulary (confusing proportions with percentage increases). Spelling is generally acceptable for common words, but lexical control is restricted, leading to vocabulary that is minimally adequate for the task but causes occasional strain for the reader, placing it firmly at Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing exhibits a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic present tense forms ('we have seen', 'the population is', 'this shows us'). While the student attempts some complex structures, these are often awkward or inaccurate in tense usage and agreement (e.g., mixing past data descriptions with present tense verbs such as 'the now it is 3,437,202' and 'In 1800 the population is 79,216'). Errors are frequent, particularly with verb tense consistency when referring to historical data from 1800 and 1900. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect the profile of a Band 5 response where complex sentence attempts are frequently faulty.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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