Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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 table illustrates the data on the changes of the proportion of population amongst the district of newyork city as compared to the total population over the period of 300 years.

Overall throughout the timeline from the year 1800 to 2000,where the total population experienced a surge, manhattan saw a substantial drop in the amount of population whereas other 5 district were showing an upward trend.

In the year 1800 manhattan made the highest proportion of the total population by 76% but in contrast had a gradual dip of 54% in the percentage following year 1900, whereas an evident increase in the population was seen ith the 5 districts combined together.

Although the total population in the year 1800 was the lowest in other cities they showed a exponential growth in the year 1900 by 46% and 81% in year 2000 simultaneously.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad contrast: Manhattan’s share falls while the combined share of the other districts rises, and you note that the city’s total population increased. However, the account is only partial and some comparisons are unclear. The figures 76%, 54%, 46% and 81% are relevant, but the response does not report the actual population totals, including the striking fact that Manhattan’s population rose to 1.85 million by 1900 and then fell to about 1.54 million by 2000. The phrase “other cities” also misidentifies the other districts. The overview would be stronger if it clearly stated that the city grew throughout, while Manhattan’s absolute population declined after 1900 as the other districts expanded. The response is 8 words below the required minimum of 150 words; add relevant detail rather than repetition.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and the response moves broadly from the overall pattern to specific years. However, progression within the details is difficult to follow: the third paragraph shifts from Manhattan’s percentages to the other districts without clearly explaining the comparison, while the final paragraph refers to “other cities” and leaves the reader unsure which figures belong to which group. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “but in contrast” and “Although” are attempted, but some are used awkwardly or do not establish a clear relationship between the ideas. Organise the details by year or by population group, and use explicit references such as “the combined population of the four other districts” to make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “total population,” “substantial drop” and “upward trend,” and these choices help communicate the main contrast. There is also an attempt to vary wording rather than repeat “increase.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “amongst the district” is not a natural way to describe the figures, “other cities” incorrectly labels the districts, and “exponential growth” overstates what the table establishes. “Surge” and “gradual dip” are also not well matched to the data, particularly because Manhattan’s population first rises and then falls. Use precise terms such as “share,” “combined population” and “declined,” and check spelling and word forms, including “New York City” and “districts.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a range of sentence forms, including a contrast in “whereas” and a concessive opening with “Although.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make the relationships between figures difficult to understand. For example, “Overall throughout the timeline …,where” has awkward clause construction and punctuation, while “manhattan saw … whereas other 5 district were showing” contains agreement and plural errors. The sentence beginning “In the year 1800” also has an unclear structure, and “Although the total population … was the lowest in other cities they showed” lacks a clear grammatical subject and punctuation between clauses. Practise building shorter, accurate comparisons first, then combine them with correctly punctuated clauses. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, plurals and sentence boundaries.

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