Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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 ,total population changes in New York City from 1800 to 2000.The second and third tables shows the percentange of total population in five districts over the periods.

overall,In New York City was population increase the throughout the year from 1800 to 2000. In Manhattan district was population increase from 1800 to 2000 but the percentage pf total population was decrease over the period.whereas the Other districts of New York City was increase population as compare with Manhattam districts but also increased the percentage of total population over the period.

New York City was population increase in all five districts from 1800 in 79,216 to 1900 in 3,437,202 and 2000 in 8,009,185. But In Manhattan district was population increase in 1800 and 1900 as compare with other districts of New York City such as Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,staten Island. In 2In Manhattan district was populaion fall from 2000 in 1,538,096 as compared with other districts were there were population increase from 2000 in 6,471,09.As overall the percentage of total population were rise from 1800 to 2000 in 24% to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall contrast: New York City’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share rose. You also include several relevant figures, including the city totals and the 2000 populations. However, some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. Manhattan’s population did not increase throughout the period: it rose from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900, then fell to 1,538,096 in 2000. The statement that Manhattan had a larger population than the other districts in 1800 and 1900 is also incorrect for 1900, when the other districts together had 1,587,109. The overview is present, but the key trends need more precise reporting and support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and a body paragraph, and it attempts to connect ideas using “whereas” and “but.” However, progression is difficult to follow because several sentences combine multiple comparisons without clear relationships. For example, the final paragraph moves from city totals to Manhattan’s population, then to the other districts’ figures and percentages. The phrase “In 2In Manhattan district” also interrupts the flow, while repeated use of “from 1800 to 2000” and “over the period” makes the linking mechanical. Organise the body around clear comparisons—first the city total, then Manhattan versus the other districts—and use accurate references to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “districts” and “increase,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning awkward, such as “was population increase,” “as compare with” and “population fall.” There are also spelling errors, including “percentange,” “Manhattam” and “populaion,” which reduce precision. Repeating “increase” for both population totals and shares also obscures the distinction between these measures. Build a small set of accurate trend expressions—such as “rose,” “declined,” “accounted for” and “made up”—and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to form longer sentences and uses a contrast clause with “whereas,” but most sentence patterns are limited and frequent errors make some relationships hard to understand. Examples include “The second and third tables shows,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “In New York City was population increase,” which lacks a clear grammatical structure. Articles, prepositions and tense patterns are also unreliable, as in “from 1800 in 79,216 to 1900 in 3,437,202.” Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, particularly around commas and sentence boundaries. Practise straightforward comparative structures first, for example, “The population rose from X in 1800 to Y in 1900,” then combine them with accurate clauses.

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