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 tables provide information about the changes in the total population of New York City and the contribution of 5 different dictricts to the total population between 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of New York city increased from 1800 to 2000. Though there was a shift in the proportion residing in different districts. With majon the year 1800, majority of the population resided in Manhattan whereas in the year 2000 more people resided in other districts.

The total population of New York city was in the year 1800 was 79216. It drastically increased to [redacted phone] in the year 1900. In the next 100 years, it further increased to [redacted phone].

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempted to summarize the tables, noting the overall population increase and the shift in proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the response has significant limitations. Crucially, the length requirement is not met as the text contains only 110 words, falling well short of the 150-word minimum. Furthermore, the analysis is incomplete: the student only describes the general city population and completely omits detailed discussion of the second table showing the breakdown of the other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) and their individual contributions over time. Because parts of the data are omitted and the word count is under the limit, the score is constrained to Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response has a basic organizational structure with an introductory sentence, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph. However, logical progression is weak. The second paragraph contains major sentence fragment and cohesion issues, such as 'With majon the year 1800, majority of the population resided in Manhattan whereas in the year 2000 more people resided in other districts.' Paragraphing is attempted, but the third paragraph only contains data points for the total population without linking them effectively to the broader trends. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate. Overall coherence fits the Band 5.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate basic vocabulary to discuss population changes, employing terms like 'population', 'districts', 'increase', and 'proportion'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('dictricts', 'majon') and awkward word choices. The range of vocabulary is limited and lacks the flexibility and less common lexical items expected for higher bands. While the vocabulary is generally sufficient to convey basic meaning, the lexical errors and narrow range place this response firmly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple sentence structures and attempted complex structures. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring major errors such as sentence fragments and awkward syntax, notably in 'The total population of New York city was in the year 1800 was 79216.' Punctuation is also neglected in places, such as missing commas in large numbers. While some sentences are understandable, frequent errors in grammar and structure cause difficulty for the reader and reflect a Band 5.0 level.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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