Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01

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 very first table illustrates the changes in the total population of the New York City through the years 1800s to 2000s. In the year 1800, the polulation was around 79,216 which is quite higher but not as higher as in up coming years. The fourth box in table describe the population in the year 1900, where we can see clearly that population was grow rapidly during those 1000 years period. if we look through the fifth box of the table, there also stated that population was grow more rapidly from 3,437,202 to 8,009,185 which is realy a big amount of the hole generation.

Moreover, the 2nd table shows the total population of five cities which is Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten island. The Manhattan is shows so big trough the strength of the poplutaion in it. But in the year 2000, the popluation was fall down rapidly from 54% to 19% which was huge amount.

However, the other 4 citie's population was increase rapidly through years.

In conclusion, Manhattan has grown down their population and the other four cities grown up through populatiion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response presents an overview of the data and attempts to report some main features and comparisons, which aligns with a partial coverage of the task. However, the interpretation of the figures is somewhat limited and contains noticeable inaccuracies, such as stating that the population grew rapidly 'during those 1000 years period' instead of 200 years. Key data points are referenced, but the information lacks a fully developed overview and some descriptions of trends are vague. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to select the most significant data trends more accurately, avoid factual misinterpretations of timeframes, and provide a clearer, more comprehensive summary of the tables without generalising excessively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in the response, with paragraphs dividing the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by mechanical or repetitive transitions, such as starting multiple sentences with 'In the year...' or 'Moreover'. Referencing within the text is also at times unclear, for instance using vague phrasing like 'the fourth box in table' or 'the other 4 citie's population'. To improve, the writer should ensure that ideas are sequenced more logically and that cohesive devices are used more accurately and naturally to link information across sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, showing a limited range that is only minimally adequate for the task. There are noticeable lexical errors throughout the response, such as 'polulation' (population), 'realy a big amount of the hole generation', 'grown down', and 'grown up', which can occasionally cause difficulty or strain for the reader. The writer attempts to use some less common words, but incorrect word choice and collocation restrict the precision of the descriptions. To achieve a higher score, the writer must expand their vocabulary range, use precise terms for data trends, and ensure accurate spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The Manhattan is shows', 'population was grow'), incorrect verb tenses, and missing or misused articles. These errors can cause some difficulty and confusion for the reader. To progress to the next band, the writer needs to increase the variety of complex sentence structures used and improve control over basic grammar, tense consistency, and punctuation to reduce the frequency of errors.

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