Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-05

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)

Given charts illustrates district wise alterations in overall population count from 1800 to 2000 in New York City as well as total count of poplution during the same timeframe.

Collectively, New City has seen a massive growth in its poplulation count throughout its five major districts including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.

In the year 1800, all five districts of the New york city had a total

population count of 79,216 as a whole. However, in a century of timesnap popluation rise drastically at about 3,437,202. By the year 2000, poplution significantly incresed by around 2 lakhs making it 8,009,185 approximately.

Among all 5 districts, Manhattan district is the most prefered district with 76% popluation count in the year 1800. In contrast, only 24% of people in New york choose other four districts. Over the time, 80% popluation is scattered among Brooklyn, Bronx, Queen and Staten Island by the year 2000. In case of Manhattan, it contributes only 19% of residents count of 1,538,096.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main features of the tables, outlining the total population changes and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts from 1800 to 2000. However, the data handling contains inaccuracies, such as the statement that the 1900 population was 'at about 3,437,202' and that the 2000 population 'incresed by around 2 lakhs', which misinterprets the figures provided in the source data. While an overview is attempted in the second paragraph, the development of ideas is limited, leading to a partial coverage of the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, body paragraphs for overall population figures, and a final paragraph detailing district-specific percentages. However, progression is not always clear, and cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical or inadequate (e.g., 'In the year 1800...', 'Over the time...'). Referencing and transitions between sentences can feel abrupt, creating a somewhat disjointed flow that prevents a smoother overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message about population changes and percentages. There are noticeable spelling errors throughout the text, including 'poplulation', 'incresed', 'prefered', and 'timesnap', alongside awkward word choices and phrasing such as 'district wise alterations' and 'around 2 lakhs'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher score in this category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple statements with occasional attempts at complex forms that are often faulty (e.g., 'popluation rise drastically at about...'). Frequent errors are present regarding prepositions, articles, and verb tenses, such as 'Given charts illustrates' instead of 'The given charts illustrate', and 'people in New york choose' instead of 'chose'. These frequent grammatical errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader.

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