Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-18
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 table below illustrates about the changes in the total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000 and second and third table shows about changes in population of different cities manhattan,brooklyn,bronx,queens ,statenisland over same period.
overall,the population in th nework city has significantly rose comparing to the initial year .In manhattan the percentage of the population is seen to rise comparing to the other cities . Other district population is also gradually increasing resulting high population in the partcilar areas like brooklyn ,bronx,queens,staten island .
However , the population on 1800 in the new york was 79,216 which was total population .later on in 1900 and 2000 population was 3,437,202 to 8,009,185 so it proves that the population of the city became higher throughout the years .Simillarly, manhattan district popolation in the years rose from 60,515 to 15,38,096 which was about 76%and 19% of the total population by the end of the year.
Additionally, in other dstricts population beacame 18,701 to 64,71,089which was about 24% and 81% of new york city total population throuhout the years and it shows that the population of the broklyn ,bronx ,queens ,staten isand is the highest compared to manhattan.
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 covers all parts of the prompt by looking at the total population of New York City and the breakdown for Manhattan and the other districts across the specified years. An overview is attempted, noting that the overall population rose significantly and that the proportion shifted towards the other districts. However, the student's data reporting contains a major misinterpretation: the student states that Manhattan's population rose from 60,515 to 1,538,096 while also quoting the percentages correctly as 76% and 19%, but completely misreads the 1900 data row. Furthermore, the phrasing is repetitive, and the comparison could be sharper. These inaccuracies and the lack of a fully clear overview prevent a higher score, placing this performance at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into paragraphs, which helps establish a basic structure. However, logical progression is hindered by poor transitions and mechanical cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'Simillarly'. The introductory paragraph is poorly linked and fails to introduce the tables effectively. Pronoun referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall flow is disjointed. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within paragraphs is weak, resulting in a score of 5.0 according to the band descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, relying on terms like 'population', 'changes', 'rose', and 'districts'. There are noticeable spelling errors such as 'th nework', 'partcilar', 'Simillarly', 'popolation', 'dstricts', 'beacame', and 'broklyn'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted with frequent inaccuracies in word choice and spelling that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 description.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response shows a limited range of sentence structures, with frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. There are capitalization issues throughout (e.g., 'new york city', 'manhattan'). Sentences often lack proper punctuation, and clauses are joined awkwardly, such as in 'which was about 76%and 19% of the total population by the end of the year' and 'population beacame 18,701 to 64,71,089which was about 24% and 81%'. These frequent grammatical and punctuation errors cause difficulty for the reader, warranting a Band 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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