Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-16
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 presented tables illustrate the comparative data on the total population of New York and its five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn,Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) from 1800 to 2000. Taking a holistic view, Manhattan was recorded the highest percentage of pollution, which was was declined by the intarval of time.
To commence with, the population of New York was recorded 79216 in 1800, while it was recorded 60,515 from Manhattan by the same year and it was 76% of the total. Although it was recorded [redacted phone] in 1900 from New York, it was recorded [redacted phone] by Manhattan and it was 54% of total. However, it was recorded [redacted phone] in 2000 and Manhattan population was 19% in this total.
On contract, the total population of other five districts was recorded 18701 in 1800, which was 24% from the total population of New York. It was recorded [redacted phone] in 1900, and it was 46% from the total population of New York City. Nevertheless, it was [redacted phone] in 2000 and it was 81% from the overall population of New York.
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 addresses the main parts of the prompt by reporting data on the total population of New York and its breakdown between Manhattan and the other districts across the three designated years. However, there are significant flaws in data transcription and reporting. For instance, the student states in the overview that Manhattan recorded the 'highest percentage of pollution' (a clear typo for population), which declined over time. Furthermore, the 2000 figure for the other districts is misreported as '647109' instead of '6,471,089'. While key comparisons between Manhattan and the remaining districts are attempted, the data inaccuracies and limited development place this performance at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is arranged with an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph focusing on Manhattan, and a final paragraph focusing on the other districts. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on repetitive sentence openings such as 'It was recorded...' and transition phrases like 'To commence with' and 'On contract' (presumably meant to be 'By contrast'). Paragraphing is present, but the overall logical flow suffers from repetitive structures and awkward referencing, justifying a score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic verbs and nouns, repeating words like 'population', 'recorded', and 'total' numerous times in close succession. There are also noticeable vocabulary errors and typos, such as 'pollution' instead of 'population', 'intarval' instead of 'interval', and 'On contract' instead of 'By contrast'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey basic data, these errors and lack of flexibility restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts some complex structures, such as concessive clauses ('Although it was recorded...'), but these are often clumsy and repetitive. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation inaccuracies throughout the text, including missing articles, awkward passive constructions, and numerical misreadings that stem from structural confusion. Although meaning is generally decipherable, the high frequency of errors places this response at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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