Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-03

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 illustrate the fluctuations in population about New york city between 1800 and 2000.and another two tables describe variations in the population for five districts throughout the same period.

overall,There was an increase in the population over the period(1800 to 2000)in New york city.And same as Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,staten island population grwoth steadily in upward trend.while Manhattan district is increase in population till 1900 and after that slight reduction in 2000.

firstly,in new york city population is very low in the year 1800(79,216)

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count of 150 words, stopping abruptly at only 84 words. Consequently, the task is addressed only minimally. While the writer attempts an overview and begins to report some figures from the tables, the incomplete nature of the response means that the main features and comparisons are not adequately covered. The writing trails off in the third paragraph, leaving the description largely undeveloped and fragmentary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation attempted, such as introductory and overview sentences, but the overall progression breaks down quickly due to the abrupt ending of the text. Cohesive devices are used in a basic or mechanical manner, such as 'firstly' and 'overall', but referencing and linking across sentences lack polish and logical flow. Paragraphing is disjointed, with incomplete thoughts and single-sentence paragraphs reflecting a lack of structural control.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, featuring basic terms and repetitive expressions like 'population', 'districts', and 'increase'. There are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates', 'grwoth' instead of 'growth', and lower-case letters for proper nouns like 'New york city'. These errors, while not completely blocking communication, restrict the range and precision of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, relying mostly on simple or faulty sentence structures. There are frequent errors in punctuation and capitalization, such as missing commas, incorrect capitalization after periods ('overall,There'), and run-on structures. Additionally, verb agreement and tense use show instability, as seen in 'The very first table illustrate' and 'Manhattan district is increase'. These persistent errors cause some difficulty and distraction for the reader.

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

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