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)
The given first table show changes in numbers of residentials in new york city from 1800 to 2000. And other two tables show changes in populance of five cities of this region over same time period.
Overall, the population of New York City gradually increase from 1800 to 2000. In Manhattan the numbers of population as percentage decrease over every century. Whereas, other four districts population doubled from year 1800 to 2000.
the total population of new york rise up with every century as in year 1800 the total population is 79,216 where, in 1900 is increases to 3,437,202 and after a century it have a massive increase of 8,009,185. the Manhattan population in 1800 is only 60,515 only. Then ,in 1900 it increase to 1,850,093 whereas, it declined in 2000 as percentage of total population is only 19%. in other four districts it boost from 24% to 46% in contrast it also almost doubled in next hundred years by 81%.
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 cover the main features of the tables, outlining the overall population growth of New York City and general trends in the districts. However, the data selection and reporting lack precision and contain inaccuracies. For example, the student states that Manhattan's population as a percentage decreased over every century and cites 19%, but the actual data trends need clearer presentation. Key figures from the prompt are mentioned, such as the total population in 1800 (79,216), 1900 (3,437,202), and 2000 (8,009,185), satisfying the requirement to report main numerical features. Nevertheless, comparisons between Manhattan and the other four districts are somewhat confusingly expressed, such as 'in other four districts it boost from 24% to 46%'. Consequently, the task is addressed, but the development and accuracy of some comparative points remain limited, placing this response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response has an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body section, showing some basic organisation. However, overall progression is hindered by poor paragraphing, abrupt transitions, and lowercase starting letters for sentences (e.g., 'the total population of new york rise up...'). Cohesive devices are minimal or misused, and referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in 'Whereas, other four districts population doubled' and 'in other four districts it boost from 24% to 46% in contrast it also almost doubled'. The relationships between ideas within sentences and paragraphs are sometimes muddled. While there is a recognisable attempt to group information logically into an overview and specific details, the mechanical and faulty cohesion restricts the score to Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses a limited and repetitive range of vocabulary that is minimally adequate for the task. Words such as 'population', 'increase', and 'district' are repeated without much variation. There are several noticeable lexical and word-form errors, such as 'residentials' instead of 'residents', 'populance' instead of 'population', and 'rise up' instead of 'rose' or 'increased'. Collocations are occasionally awkward, such as 'have a massive increase'. While the figures and general topic are communicated, the frequent lexical inaccuracies and restricted range mean that the vocabulary falls into the Band 5.0 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple or poorly formed complex sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('show' instead of 'shows', 'is increases', 'it have'), missing capitalisation at the beginning of sentences (e.g., 'the total population...', 'in other four districts...'), and prepositional errors ('in new york city' instead of 'in New York City'). Complex structures are attempted but are frequently faulty, such as 'Then ,in 1900 it increase to 1,850,093 whereas, it declined in 2000 as percentage of total population is only 19%'. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and align with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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