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 three tables display the increase in overall population of New York City and other five districts Including manhattan, between 1800 and 2000.

Overall all, population was increased in all cities. New york had the highest increase in 2000. Whereas, manhattan and other districts experienced the highest increase in 1800 and 2000 respectively.

In 1800, Population of New York City was exactly at 79,216. It increased to 3,437,202 in 1900. In year 2000, there was a largest increase and population rose to 8,0009,185.

In 1800, Manhattan's population rose by 76%, and total population was 60,515. In 1900, population rose by 54% and reached to 1,850,093. However, in 2000, a percentage of total population was 19% which was lowest compare to year 1800 and 1900. Other districts population was also increased every year by 24%, 46% and 81% respectively. The largest increase was in year 2000 by 81%, which increased the population to 64,471,089 from 1587,109.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and note the shift from Manhattan’s dominance to the other districts’ larger share. However, the report only partially selects and explains the main features, which limits its coverage. The overview claim that “population was increased in all cities” is imprecise: the tables compare the city and district groups, and Manhattan’s population actually fell between 1900 and 2000. Several figures are also inaccurate: the 2000 city total is written as “8,0009,185,” and the other districts’ 2000 population is given as “64,471,089” rather than 6,471,089. Clarify that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900, while the other districts grew substantially by 2000, and report the figures accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic, useful structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the city total and district figures. This makes the information reasonably easy to locate. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and linking expressions are not always used accurately. For example, “Whereas” begins a fragment after the overview, while “Overall all” is repetitive. The final paragraph moves from Manhattan to the other districts without a clear transition, and “respectively” makes the sequence of percentages less explicit than it should be. Group the district comparisons more deliberately and use straightforward links such as “By contrast” to show the change in population shares.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “overall population,” “percentage,” “population rose,” and “largest increase,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making the data harder to interpret. “Population was increased” does not naturally describe a trend, and “rose by 76%” incorrectly suggests a change rather than a share of the total. “Highest increase” is also imprecise when describing population levels or proportions. Spelling and capitalisation are inconsistent in “manhattan” and “New york.” Aim for precise terms such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “declined,” and distinguish clearly between population totals and percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and more complex forms, including “Whereas…” and “which increased the population…,” but control is uneven and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. Examples include “Overall all,” “population was increased,” and “population rose by 76%,” where the sentence patterns do not express the intended meaning accurately. There are also problems with articles and prepositions in “reached to 1,850,093” and “a percentage of total population,” as well as an incomplete “Whereas” clause. Use complete sentences with consistent past-tense reporting, and check subject–verb patterns and prepositions. For instance, write “Manhattan accounted for 76% of the total” rather than describing the percentage as a rise.

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