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 initial table demonstrates the increase in the numbers of people living in New York between 1800 and 2000. Therefore, the other two figures illustrates changes in density of individuals living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over the 200 years of time. Overall, it can be seen that the population of other districts of new York improved dramatically by 54 percent till 21st century
In the first table, the ratio of the entire New York city was just around 80000 which increased to over [redacted phone] in 1900 and almost [redacted phone] in 2000.
Whereas, Manhattan district held 76 percent of the whole population. In the 19th century its numbers was just around 60000 which then significantly increased by 54 percent to over [redacted phone] in 1900 but then it fell down by 19 percent to just around [redacted phone]. Despite this, the population of other districts was 24 percent of the entire ratio in 19th century but After that it increased dramatically by 57 percent till 21st century to almost [redacted phone].
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 tables regarding the population of New York City and its five districts. However, there are significant factual and interpretive errors in how the data is reported. For instance, the text claims that 'Manhattan district held 76 percent of the whole population' in the 19th century, which misinterprets the source figures. Additionally, the overview is rather vague, stating that the population of other districts 'improved dramatically by 54 percent till 21st century'. While key trends are touched upon, the lack of precision in data extraction and several inaccuracies in reporting the percentages prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Consequently, the task is addressed only partially, leading to a band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into three brief paragraphs, attempting a rudimentary structure with an introduction, an overview, and body details. However, the logical progression is hindered by poor cohesive devices and inappropriate linking words, such as 'Therefore' and 'Whereas' used incorrectly at the start of sentences. Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to follow which data points correspond to which timeframes or districts. Paragraphing is also erratic, as the overview is awkwardly merged with the introductory sentences. These issues place the response firmly in the band 5.0 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a limited and basic vocabulary range suitable for describing statistical data. Words such as 'numbers', 'people', and 'figures' are repeated frequently. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and inappropriate collocations, such as 'ratio of the entire New York city' instead of 'total population', and 'improved dramatically' rather than 'increased significantly' when referring to population growth. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the overall lexical control is basic and occasionally causes strain for the reader, aligning with band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many of the complex attempts contain grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'changes in density of individuals living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over the 200 years of time.' There are noticeable errors in tense consistency, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the other two figures illustrates', 'its numbers was'). Punctuation is also weak, particularly regarding the lack of proper capitalization in district and city names ('new York'). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, meriting a band 5.0.
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.