Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-26
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 illusatrates changes in the total resident of New York town between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables demonstrates transform in the population of the five area of the city, throughout the same period.
Overall, the first table shows that New York city had the highest population in 2000. while in 1800, population share lowest citizenry. whereas, Manhattan had a significantly higher population than the other countries in 1800.
In 1800, New york had the highest community at 79,216 and then sharply increased from 1900 to 2000, 3,437,202 to 8,009,185 respectively.
In 1800, Manhattan had the highest percentage at 76% people live, whare as 24% lived in other district. In 1900, Manhattan accounted for 54% of the regions, while other district made up 46%. BY 2000 Manhattan share fell just 19%, in contrast, the share of other districts rose sharply to 81% when comparing both ares, Manhattan proportion of the total polpulation decreased significantly from 76% to 19%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting data from the tables across the three years (1800, 1900, and 2000) for both New York City as a whole and its districts (Manhattan versus other districts). An overview is attempted, noting the growth in total population and the shift in proportions, though the phrasing in the second paragraph is somewhat confused ("while in 1800, population share lowest citizenry"). Key features and comparisons are correctly highlighted, such as Manhattan's dominant population share in 1800 (76%) compared to the sharp rise in other districts by 2000 (81%). However, some statements contain confusing wording or minor inaccuracies regarding specific numbers, such as stating "In 1800, New york had the highest community at 79,216", which misinterprets what "highest" means in this context. Overall, the main features are adequately addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is arranged into paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the specific data. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and confusing statements, such as the convoluted second sentence of the overview ("while in 1800, population share lowest citizenry. whereas, Manhattan had a significantly higher population..."). Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes inaccurately or mechanically (e.g., "whare as", "BY 2000 Manhattan share fell just 19%"). Paragraphing is present, but the internal cohesion within sentences often breaks down, making the flow somewhat disjointed for the reader. Referencing and pronoun use are also weak in places, leading to ambiguity.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
The lexical range is limited and frequently strained by severe word choice and spelling errors. Examples of inappropriate vocabulary include "total resident" instead of total residents, "transform" instead of transformation or changes, "countries" instead of districts/boroughs, and "community" or "citizenry" used incorrectly to denote total population counts. There are also noticeable spelling errors such as "illusatrates", "whare as", and "ares". While the student attempts less common vocabulary, the frequent inaccuracies in word choice and collocation impede clarity and pull the score down to this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak throughout. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ("The second and third tables demonstrates"), missing prepositions ("share fell just 19%"), and incomplete or run-on structures (e.g., "In 1800, Manhattan had the highest percentage at 76% people live, whare as 24% lived in other district"). Punctuation is also problematic, with lowercase starts to sentences and improper comma splices. These errors occur frequently and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning of the data can still be discerned.
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