Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-23
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 illustrates the fluctuation in the total number of population of New York City from 1800 to 2000.while the second and third tables show the significant variations in the number of proportion of people of the five districts of the city namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island throughout the same period.
Overall, the maximum number of residants In 2000 is greater in New York City about 8,009,185 and as compared to Manhattan the prominent population rate is in 1900's . and in contrast to this other districts have higher growth is in 2000 about 6,[redacted phone].
On one hand, New York City population sized increase rapidly over the year 1800 to 2000. It means the the entire population size expanded throughly. In addition to this Manhattan population first increase then decrese gradually in 2000 up to 19%. So, it cause a decline in the number of population.
On the other hand, Other districts named as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island faced the incredible growth in the population rate up to 81% in 2000.
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 prompt by summarising data from the tables regarding the total population of New York City and its five districts from 1800 to 2000. An overview is attempted, noting the growth in total population and the shift in proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the response contains several inaccuracies and awkward interpretations of the data, such as claiming 'the maximum number of residants In 2000 is greater in New York City about 8,009,185' and confusing population numbers with percentages. Key features are partially covered, but the lack of precise reporting and underdeveloped analysis keep this response at a Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is divided into four paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. However, logical progression is frequently disrupted by poor cohesive devices and confusing transitions, such as 'On one hand... On the other hand' used inappropriately to contrast Manhattan against the other districts without proper balancing. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and mechanical connectors like 'In addition to this' and 'So, it cause a decline' are misused, creating a choppy and disjointed reading experience. Paragraphing is present but internal cohesion requires significant improvement, aligning with Band 5 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive. The student uses basic vocabulary such as 'fluctuation', 'population', 'increase', and 'growths', alongside noticeable spelling and word choice errors ('residants', 'sized', 'decrese', 'throughly'). There are frequent awkward collocations, such as 'number of proportion of people' and 'prominent population rate'. While meaning is generally retrievable despite the lexical strain, the frequent errors and lack of sophisticated phrasing place this firmly at Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Other districts... faced the incredible growth... is in 2000'), tense confusion, and missing prepositions or articles. Punctuation is also problematic, marked by stray capitalization and floating fragments, such as 'while the second and third tables...' starting with a lowercase letter after a period in the prompt context, and sentences like 'So, it cause a decline'. These persistent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5 profile.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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