Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-04

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)

We have the data availale to compare population of different district of New York from 1800 to 2000 in the first table. By thorougly going through the chart, it shows 2000 with the highest population followed by 1900 and then 1800. All five districts of New York recorded the same data where 2000 was the most populated decade. The second chart illustrates population in Manhattan from 1800 to 2000, surprisingly in Manhattan 1900 recorded the most population in terms of number but second position in terms of percentage (54), then we have 2000 on second interms of number but last in percentage that i only 19% lastly there comes 1800 with the percentage of 76 but with the least population. The last chart compares the population of other districts with 2000 being the most populated era which consist of 80% of total population followed by 1900 with 46% and lastly 1800 with only 24%. One thing that is common about these district that 2000 among all had the most population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While the student attempts to summarise the data from the tables, the overview of the trends is simplistic and contains inaccuracies regarding how the information is presented. For instance, the reference to 'decade' is incorrect since the data spans multi-decade intervals like 1800, 1900, and 2000. Key features and comparisons are limited and under-developed, particularly when discussing the percentages for Manhattan and the other districts. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to select and report the main features more accurately and provide a clearer, more comprehensive overview of the overall trends without relying on informal or inaccurate descriptions of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some basic organisation in the response, but it lacks a clear overall progression. The writing is presented as a single dense block of text with no paragraphing, which makes the structure difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are basic, repetitive, and at times inaccurate, such as 'then we have', 'lastly there comes', and 'the last chart compares'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'that i only 19%'. To achieve a higher band, the student must divide the response into logical paragraphs, use a wider range of cohesive devices more accurately, and ensure a clear, logical flow of ideas from the introduction through to the final summary.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student relies heavily on basic terms and repeats words like 'population', 'district', 'chart', and 'percentage' frequently throughout the text. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'availale', 'thorougly', 'interms', 'most populated era', and 'consist of'. Spelling errors also occur, which can cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve this criterion, the student should expand their lexical range by incorporating less common vocabulary, improving word choice and collocations relating to data presentation, and carefully checking spelling before finalising the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response shows a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences joined by basic conjunctions. Attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty or awkward, such as in the lengthy sentence describing Manhattan's percentages. Frequent errors are present, including missing articles ('compare population of different district', 'in terms of number'), prepositions ('on second interms of'), and subject-verb agreement or tense issues ('that i only 19%'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader. To progress, the student needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures and improve grammatical accuracy, particularly regarding articles, prepositions, and punctuation.

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