Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30
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 illustrates the change in population in five districts of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The other two tables show the population changes in five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) in the same years.
Overall, the population of New York City and other five districts increased by time. But in 2000, New York City has more population than all five districts. Except New York City table, the percentage of total population is described also.However, the population of Manhattan only is described in a seperate table, the remaining four districts combined population is showed in another table.
At first, the New York City popuulation increased from 1800 to 2000. It's population was 79216 in 1800. In 1900 and 2000, the population of New York City was [redacted phone] and [redacted phone] respectively. In addition, Manhattan population in 1800 was 60515 and percentage of total population was 76%. In 1900 and 2000, it's population was [redacted phone] and [redacted phone] respectively and it's percentage of total population was 54% and 19% respectively. At last, in other districts, the population was 18701 and [redacted phone] and percentage of total population was 24% and 46% respectively, in 1800 and 1900. In 2000, the population was [redacted phone] and total propotion of population was 81%.
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 task by reporting the population figures for New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000. However, there are significant confusions and inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, the student states that 'in 2000, New York City has more population than all five districts', which demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the data, as New York City IS the total sum of all five districts. Furthermore, some figures are copied without clear synthesis, and the overview provided is weak and confused. While the main features are touched upon, the response suffers from under-developed analysis and data misinterpretation, aligning it with Band 5 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is divided into paragraphs, but the logical flow is frequently disrupted by confusing statements, such as 'Except New York City table, the percentage of total population is described also.' Cohesive devices are often used mechanically or inaccurately, as seen with misplaced transitional phrases like 'However, the population of Manhattan only is described in a seperate table...'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall progression of ideas feels disjointed and repetitive, particularly in the final body paragraph where data is clumped together awkwardly. This performance fits Band 5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is repetitive and basic, relying heavily on terms directly lifted from the prompt such as 'population', 'districts', 'percentage', and 'total population'. There are also spelling errors like 'seperate' and 'popuulation', alongside awkward word choices such as 'total propotion of population'. The student attempts some descriptive vocabulary, but the range is limited and inadequate for a clear, precise summary of statistical data, restricting the score to Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but grammatical errors are frequent throughout. Examples include tense confusion ('New York City has more population than all five districts') and missing articles or pluralisation issues. Punctuation errors are also present, such as missing spaces after periods and commas. While communication is not entirely obscured, the high frequency of errors places this response firmly in Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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