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)

In the first table it shows changes in the total population of newyork city between 1800 to 2000. The other two tables show changes in the population of the five district of the city Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island , over the same period .

In the first table the population of the newyork city was 79,216 in 1800. After 100 years in 1900 the public raised to 3,437,202. While in 2000 the population reached to 8,009,185.

In Manhattan ,there was a 60,515 population in 1880 which is a 76% of the total population but in 1900. the population increased to 1,850,093 which is a 54% of total public. While in 2000 the population reached to 1,538,096 and its a 19% of total public

while in other districts ( Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten island) the population was a 18,701 in 1800 which is a 24% ot total public . In 1900 it increased to 1,587,109 and its a 46% ot total population While in 2000 the public reached to 6,471,089 which is 81% of total public.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You report the main figures for the city overall and for Manhattan and the other districts, and most values and percentages match the tables. However, the overview is missing: you do not clearly summarise the key contrast that the city grew greatly while Manhattan’s population share fell, as the other districts became dominant. There is also a factual error: Manhattan’s first figure is for 1800, not 1880. The response mainly lists figures rather than selecting and highlighting the most important trends, so the task is only partly addressed. Add a concise overview and make the major changes explicit, then check each year against the table.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from the city total to Manhattan and then the other districts, so the reader can identify which table each paragraph discusses. However, progression within the paragraphs is mostly a repeated year-by-year list, and the linking words “While” and “In” are used mechanically. Some punctuation and spacing also make the flow less clear, such as “Manhattan ,there” and the full stop after “1900.” in the middle of a comparison. The opening repeats the task description rather than establishing an overview. Group the information around the main trends, use clearer transitions, and punctuate comparisons consistently.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms such as “population,” “increased,” and “total,” which allow the reader to understand the figures being compared. However, the vocabulary is limited and repetitive, and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing data. “Public” is repeatedly used where “population” is needed, while “the public raised” does not express population growth naturally. There are also spelling and form issues in “newyork,” “district,” and “ot.” Use a more precise range of trend language and check spelling and collocations. For example, describe a figure as “rose to” a value and a share as “accounted for” a percentage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates the broad sequence of changes, but it relies heavily on simple sentence patterns and several attempted comparisons are grammatically faulty. Examples include “the population … was 79,216” followed by “the public raised,” and “there was a 60,515 population,” where the sentence structure does not express the data accurately. Articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “a 76%” and “but in 1900. the population.” These recurring errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the intended figures are generally recoverable. Practise accurate comparative sentences and vary structures, while checking articles, verb forms, and punctuation.

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