Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

There are three tables given. The first table presents population changes over the period of time from 1800 to 2000 reffering to overall increase in number of people in all the five distircts over the two centuries.

Table two demonstrates the population increase by percentage over the period of 200 years in Manhattan district only. There is 76, 54 and 19 percent icrease in population from [redacted phone] year respectively.

Table three shows data about the other districts including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island. This table also presents the percent increase in the mentioned districts over the period of thousands of years. There is 24, 46 and 81 percent rise in population in 1800, 1900 and year 2000 respectively.

The comparison shows that in the year 1800 most of the people reside in Manhattan district and their was a huge increse about 76% and in other districts there was very low increase in population size. But over the years this trend changed as the percentage increase in Manhattan declines over the overs as compared to other distircts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad contrast in the tables: Manhattan accounts for a smaller share over time, while the other districts account for a larger share. However, the response only partially reports the information. It repeatedly describes the percentages as an “increase” or “rise,” although these figures are shares of the city’s total population, not percentage growth rates. It also omits the total population figures and the district population counts, including the important fact that Manhattan’s population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000 while the city total continued to grow. The overview is present but imprecise, and “over the period of thousands of years” is inaccurate. Report the main totals and distinguish population numbers from percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from the first table to the district tables and then to a comparison. This gives the reader a general sense of the subject, and phrases such as “But over the years” signal a contrast. However, the organisation is repetitive: the first three paragraphs largely announce what each table shows rather than grouping the key trends into a clear overview and supporting details. Some links are awkward or unclear, such as “from 1800-2000 year respectively,” and the final comparison does not clearly connect the changing shares to the actual population figures. A more effective progression would begin with the overall growth and changing distribution, then compare Manhattan with the other districts using selected figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant terms, including “overall increase,” “percentage,” “comparison,” and “declines,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices are inaccurate for the data. “Increase” and “rise” wrongly suggest that 76%, 54%, and 19% are growth rates; they represent proportions of the total. “Reside” is also less suitable for describing historical table data, and “over the period of thousands of years” is an inaccurate phrase for the two-century period. Spelling errors such as “reffering,” “distircts,” “icrease,” and “increse” are noticeable. Use precise terms such as “share,” “proportion,” and “population total,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few longer structures, including “The comparison shows that…” and the contrast introduced by “But over the years…”. However, sentence patterns are limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “There is 76, 54 and 19 percent increase” has faulty agreement and an unclear construction; “their was” should be “there was,” and “the percentage increase … declines over the overs” contains an unclear, incomplete comparison. The phrase “from 1800-2000 year respectively” also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Practise forming accurate comparative sentences with past-tense verbs and clear subjects, for example, “Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19%, whereas the other districts’ share rose.”

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