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 first table displays the number of residents increased in the New York City between 1800 to 2000, While the second and third tables give information about the total percentage of people lived in Manhattan and other of the four districts of the city (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) during same era.

Overall, it is clear that the population of New York has increased signifcantly during these two centuries. In start, a large portion of people were living in Manhattan which later started migrating to other district.

In New York city, the total population of city across all districts was 79216, but it increased to 3,437,202 by the end of 1900

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at 111 words, which significantly restricts task completion. While the candidate attempts an overview and references some initial figures (e.g., the total population of 79,216 in 1800 and 3,437,202 in 1900), key data points and the final 2000 figures are entirely omitted. The overview correctly identifies overall population growth and the demographic shift from Manhattan to the other districts, but these ideas remain underdeveloped due to the incomplete nature of the response. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure all parts of the visual data are covered and the word count threshold is fully satisfied.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows a basic structural framework with an introductory paragraph and an overview. However, cohesion is hampered by abrupt halting and a lack of cohesive progression into body paragraphs. The transitional phrase 'In start' is unnatural, and referencing is occasionally unclear. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph consists of only two sentences, cutting off mid-data. Cohesive devices are used in a rudimentary fashion. To improve, the writer needs to logically group data into well-developed body paragraphs connected by a wider and more accurate range of discourse markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for basic communication, featuring words like 'residents', 'percentage', and 'migrating'. However, there is a spelling error ('signifcantly') and awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'In start' instead of 'Initially' and 'other of the four districts'. The range is quite limited and lacks flexibility or precision when discussing statistical changes. To reach higher bands, the student should incorporate a wider variety of less common lexical items appropriate for academic data reporting, such as 'demographic shift', 'surge', or 'proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are noticeable grammatical errors, such as 'displays the number of residents increased in the New York City' (incorrect relative clause/verb form) and omitting articles where necessary ('in New York city'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but structural inaccuracies persist. While meaning is mostly clear despite the errors, the frequent lapses in grammatical accuracy prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Developing more complex structures with error-free execution will improve this score.

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

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