Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28

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 this given 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.

In New york (all five districts), By 1800, the poplulation lies on 79,216 whereas 3,437,202 population in 1900 and it steadily rise up with 8,009,185 in 2000.

In Manhattan, By 1800 population lies on 60,515 as per percentage of total population 76% and in 1900 year population lies on 1,850,093 as per percentage of total poplulation is 54% on other hand 19% of total perctange rise up to 1,538,096 in 2000.

Other districts(Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island). By 1800 24% of population lies on numbers of 18,701. 46% population in 1900 steadily grew from 1900 its 1,587,109 where as with the in 2000 hike up steadily to 81% on numbers 6,471,089.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover the main features of the tables, including the total population growth of New York City and the breakdown between Manhattan and the other districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. However, the data presentation lacks a clear overview or summary of the broader trends, such as Manhattan's initial dominance followed by its relative decline compared to the exponential growth in other districts. Furthermore, there are awkward phrasings and lifted parts from the rubric (e.g., repeating the prompt instructions in the opening sentence), which prevents the ideas from being fully or effectively developed for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The organization of the response is quite fragmented. The student attempts to structure the paragraphs by time period and district, but the progression of ideas is hindered by a lack of cohesive devices and mechanical sentence transitions. Sentences often feel disjointed, such as 'On other hand 19% of total perctange rise up to 1,538,096 in 2000.' Paragraphing is attempted, but individual paragraphs lack internal cohesion and fail to guide the reader smoothly through the comparative data provided in the tables.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple verbs like 'lies on', 'rise up', and 'hike up'. There are several noticeable spelling errors ('poplulation', 'perctange') and awkward word choices that make the text look unpolished. The student attempts some less common terms related to data reporting, but these are often used inaccurately or unidiomatically. Overall, the lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for conveying basic numerical changes, but insufficient for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical range is severely restricted, relying heavily on simple or awkwardly constructed complex clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing prepositions, incorrect verb tenses, and faulty sentence structures (e.g., 'In this given first table below shows changes...' and 'where as with the in 2000 hike up steadily'). These errors frequently cause strain for the reader and impede the clarity of the comparisons, keeping the response at a lower band level.

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

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