Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-14

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 the number of residents of new york including all five districts in three years 1800,1900 and 2000. it is evident that year 2000 marked a siginifcant increase over all the other years . it is interesitng to note that over 100 years the population surged up by 50 times in new york from 1800 to 1900.

the second table shows the percentage of manhattan citizines to the total population of the five cities. to begin the percentage of year 1800 fell from just over half to only 19%.while there is a slight difference between year 1900 and 2000 in the population number , there is a huge difference in the percentage to nearly over the half.

In contrast the third table shows that percentage oftotal population of the other districts has increased signifcantly levelled off over three times in 200 years ,simiraily the number of population increased signifcantly over 100 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad rise in New York’s population and note the shift in the districts’ shares, so the response is relevant to the tables. However, the main features are only partly and sometimes inaccurately reported. The claim that Manhattan’s share fell “from just over half” is incorrect: it was 76% in 1800, then 54% and 19%. The statement that the 1900 and 2000 population numbers show “a slight difference” is also misleading: Manhattan’s population declined from about 1.85 million to 1.54 million, while the other districts grew to 6.47 million. The overview is unclear, and key comparisons are not explained. Select the major trends accurately and support them with figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the overall population, then discusses Manhattan and the other districts. Phrases such as “In contrast” and “to begin” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, progression within paragraphs is difficult to follow because comparisons are compressed or unclear, particularly “there is a huge difference in the percentage to nearly over the half.” The three tables are not clearly integrated into a single overview, and some references, such as “the third table,” make the organisation feel mechanical. Use a clear overview paragraph followed by logically grouped comparisons, and make each sentence state one identifiable trend or contrast.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt some task-appropriate vocabulary, including “surged,” “percentage,” “in contrast,” and “increased significantly.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the data difficult to interpret. “The percentage of Manhattan citizens” is less precise than describing Manhattan’s share of the city’s population, while “levelled off over three times” does not clearly express the increase shown. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “siginifcant,” “interesitng,” “citizines,” and “simiraily.” Build a more accurate set of terms for describing population, proportions, rises and falls, and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and some longer structures, for example the sentence beginning “While there is a slight difference…”. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence boundaries, articles, and sentence construction sometimes obscure meaning. The opening has a run-on sequence (“…three years 1800,1900 and 2000. it is evident…”), and “the percentage of year 1800 fell” does not form a clear grammatical comparison. Capitalisation and punctuation are also unreliable, as in the lowercase “it” after a full stop and missing spaces after punctuation. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use consistent punctuation to separate comparisons.

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