Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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 data present in the first table demonstrates the total number of citizen of New York City from 1800 to 2000. While the second and third table tell us the changes in population of the five districts in the same time from 1800 to 2000.

The first table show the population between 1800 to 2000 in new york city. In the year of 1800 the number of people were just over 79 thousand. While in year 1900 there are a huge increase in the number of population. The number goes from 79k to the 3,437,202. Furthurmore in the 2000 the number incline from 3,437,202. to 8,009,185.

In the second and third table it shows the changes. In five distract in manhattan the changes in the 1800 is 76% of the total population. There are 54% of increament in the 1900 while in the 2000 19% changes occurs. About other districts 24% changes records in the 1800 while in the 1900 and 2000 its 46% and 81% of the total populations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the overall subject and report several key figures, including the city’s population in 1800, 1900 and 2000, as well as the changing shares for Manhattan and the other districts. However, the response only partly fulfils the task because it gives no clear overview of the main trends. In particular, it does not explain that the city’s total population rose sharply throughout the period, while Manhattan’s population increased to 1900 and then fell by 2000; the other districts grew substantially and made up a larger share. The phrase “54% of increament” also misrepresents the table: 54% is Manhattan’s share of the total, not an increase. Clarify what each percentage represents and compare the main changes directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction is followed by discussion of the total population and then the district figures. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is grouped. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited, and the opening repeats the task description rather than presenting a concise overview. Linking words such as “While” and “Furthermore” are sometimes used awkwardly or without a clear contrast, and the final paragraph moves between Manhattan and the other districts without clearly organising the comparisons. Use a distinct overview after the introduction, then group the figures by trend—for example, Manhattan versus the combined other districts—and use clear references to the relevant years.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “total,” “increase,” and “changes,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or repetitive choices make the account less precise. “Citizen” is not the right term for a population figure, and “changes” is repeatedly used where the table reports a proportion or share. “Incline” is also an unsuitable choice for describing the rise in population. Spelling errors such as “Furthurmore,” “distract,” and “increament” further reduce accuracy. Build a small set of precise Task 1 expressions—such as “population rose,” “accounted for,” and “share of the total”—and check spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can usually identify the years and figures being discussed. However, the range is limited, and frequent errors in sentence formation and basic grammar sometimes make the relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “The first table show” has subject–verb disagreement, while “In the year of 1800 the number of people were” has an awkward article/preposition pattern and disagreement between “number” and “were.” The opening sentence beginning “While the second and third table…” is a fragment, and “the changes in the 1800 is 76%” has an unclear grammatical structure. Practise complete sentences with accurate subjects and verbs, and use consistent past-tense forms when reporting the historical data.

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