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)
first table demonstrates changes in the total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000, also the second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) at the same period.
overview, New York City in all five districts the population has been increased, in contrast Manhattan has droped at the last period, on the other hand the population at other districts (Brooklyn ,Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) have been rose significanlty.
Firstly, the population in New York city has increased from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 and that's big jump, forthemore Manhattan has been droped as percentage from 76% in 1800 from 19% in 2000 followed by from 60,515 to 1,538,096 of population.
Secondly, Other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island have been grown up between 1800 and 2000 if they have 24% and 18,701 population in 1800 to 81% and 6,471,089 population 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 covers the main trends shown in the charts, noting the overall population growth of New York City and contrasting the declining proportion of Manhattan with the significant growth in the other districts. Key data points such as the initial and final populations (79,216 to 8,009,185) are correctly cited. However, the response suffers from some inaccuracies and lack of precision in reporting details, such as misinterpreting the percentage change for Manhattan ("from 76% in 1800 from 19% in 2000"). While an overview is attempted, it is awkwardly integrated and lacks a well-structured summary. This performance aligns with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors, specifically meeting the criteria for addressing all parts of the task with relevant main features, though some data handling is imprecise.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is organized into paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs with sequencing words like "Firstly" and "Secondly". However, the overall progression is disjointed due to poor punctuation and run-on sentences. For example, the overview and opening sentences lack proper sentence boundaries ("first table demonstrates... also the second..."). Cohesive devices are often mechanical or misused, and referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where comparisons are tangled. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks cohesion within sections. This corresponds to a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data trends such as "population", "percentage", and "increased". However, attempts at less common vocabulary lead to frequent errors in word choice and form, such as "droped" (dropped), "significanlty" (significantly), "forthemore" (furthermore), and "grown up" (grown). Spelling errors are notable (e.g., "droped", "significanlty"). While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic message, inaccuracies restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the writing is heavily marred by grammatical errors, punctuation faults, and run-on sentences. Many sentences lack correct verb forms or prepositions (e.g., "the population at other districts... have been rose"). Punctuation is largely absent between independent clauses, resulting in comma splices and choppy phrasing. Errors frequently cause strain for the reader, matching the characteristics of Band 4.5 to 5.0. Because simple sentences are controlled better than complex ones, a score of 5.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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