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 first table shows the net population of new york city from 1800 to 2000 on the other hand in second table illustrates the population of manhattan whereas third table depicts other four districts over 200 years of given time span.

Overall, in new york city population is significantly rose from 1800 to 2000 moreover. the percentage shows major decrease in population and biggest dump is from 1900 to 2000 on the other hand as compare to other four states percentage shows double the amount of population as compared to their recent years.

First of all the main features include the icrease of overall population in whole city and major climb is from 1900 to 2000. while in second table in 1800 overall population percentage is 76 percent which decreased shortly to fifty four percent in 1900 while in 1800 it shows major fall and declined to ninteen percent.

In comparison to second table third table showed opposite results in remain four cities where population shows significant increase throughout the year which shows the double amount as compared to their recent years from 1800 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern that New York City’s population increased and that Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose. However, the report only partially selects and explains the key data, which keeps the account limited and sometimes unclear. The city’s total rose from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, but you do not give these figures. You also say the other districts had “double the amount” by 2000, whereas their share rose from 24% to 81%; this is more than a doubling. The statement that Manhattan’s “biggest dump” occurred from 1900 to 2000 confuses its percentage share with its population, which fell from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096. Include accurate comparisons and distinguish population totals from percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, so there is an attempt to organise the information by table and district. However, progression is difficult to follow because several ideas are repeated or joined with connectors that do not show the intended relationship. For example, “on the other hand” is used where no contrast is clearly established, and “moreover” is followed by a full stop. The overview also combines the city’s growth with the districts’ percentage changes in a confusing sequence. Use one clear overview, then group the city totals and district comparisons logically. Shorter sentences and more precise referencing would make the relationships between the figures easier to understand.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt task-related vocabulary such as “population,” “percentage,” “decreased,” and “significant increase,” which helps communicate the general subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the meaning unclear. “Net population” is not an appropriate description of the total, and “biggest dump” appears to mean the largest drop. “Recent years” does not accurately describe the comparison between 1800 and 2000, while “states” is incorrect for the city’s districts. Spelling errors such as “icrease” and “ninteen” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “total population,” “proportion,” “declined,” and “districts,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There are attempts to use longer sentences and subordinate clauses, but these are often faulty, and the response relies on a narrow set of sentence patterns. For instance, “in new york city population is significantly rose” has an incorrect verb construction; write “New York City’s population rose significantly.” In “the percentage shows major decrease,” the article is missing, and the sentence beginning “while in 1800” does not form a clear, complete comparison. Punctuation also causes problems: the opening sentence joins separate ideas without adequate punctuation, and “moreover.” is incorrectly separated from the clause it introduces. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then add complex structures with clear clause boundaries and consistent past-tense verbs.

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