Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17
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)
In 1800 to 2000 the New York city change in the total population in the first table and the third and second table show the population change of the five districts of the city over the same period.
The first table show that increase population in New York in the year of 1800 population reached 79,216 and in the year of of 1900 population reached 3,437,202 and in the year of 2000 population reached 8,009,185.
The second table show that population increase in the year of 1800 in New York district Manhattan population reached 60,515 and the percentage of total population 76 percent. In the year of 1900 population reached 1,850,093 and in this year percentage of total population 54 percent in the year of 2000 population reached 1,538,096 and the percentage of total population 19 percent as compared to to previous years.
The third table show that population increase in the New York city of other districts Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten, Island, in the year of 1800 population increase 18,701 and total percentage 24 percent and in the year of 1900 the population increase 1,587,109 and its total percentage 46 percent than the previous year in the year of 2000 population increase 6,471,089 and the percentage of total population 81 percent.
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 task by reporting figures from all three tables, including population numbers for New York City as a whole, as well as specific figures and percentages for Manhattan and the other combined districts. However, the response lacks a proper overview, which is essential for an Academic Task 1 response. Instead of summarising the main trends—such as the massive overall population growth and the dramatic demographic shift away from Manhattan toward the other four districts—the writer launches straight into mechanical data listing. Furthermore, some data points are merely transcribed without insightful comparisons or synthesis. This places the response firmly in the band 5.0 to 5.5 range, as the information is presented rather mechanically and lacks a clear summary of overall trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into four paragraphs, roughly corresponding to the introduction and the three tables provided in the prompt. However, the progression of ideas is weak. There is a heavy reliance on repetitive sentence structures ('The first table show that...', 'The second table show that...'), and cohesive devices are virtually absent. Paragraphing is used physically to separate the tables, but logical transitions between sentences and ideas are missing. Pronoun referencing and substitution are poorly handled, making the text read like a disconnected list of data points rather than a cohesive summary. These issues align with the descriptors for Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is extremely basic and repetitive. Words such as 'population', 'increase', 'year', and 'table' are recycled constantly throughout the response. There is very little attempt to use less common lexical items or synonyms to paraphrase the prompt data. Phrases like 'population reached' and 'population increase' are repeated mechanically. While the chosen vocabulary is adequate to communicate the basic numbers, the lack of variety and flexibility restricts the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. The writing consists almost entirely of simple sentences or poorly linked run-on clauses connected by coordinating conjunctions. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The first table show', 'population increase') and missing prepositions or articles. Complex structures are largely absent, and where multiple clauses are joined together, punctuation is often neglected or misused. These persistent errors and the lack of structural variety reflect the Band 5.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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