Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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 tables illustrates increase the population of New York in five regions from 1800 to 2000. Different districts like Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten island shows the major changes the proportion in the population in this era.

overall, the number of individuals increase with high population changes by the passing year. like in five districts population is increasing 79216 in 1800 to [redacted phone] in 1900. Major change is dispaly from 1900 to 2000 that is [redacted phone] to [redacted phone].

However, remainig table compare the increase of population in Manhattan district with other four districts. A biggest change showing in the district Manhattan that is 76% with population 60515 to [redacted phone](54%) from 1800 to 1900 in only year.From table the smallest change in Manhattan district is 19% with population [redacted phone] in2000. By comparing manhattan district to four other districts the biggest change in 1900 to 2000 is [redacted phone] with proportion of 81%. in 1900 population rise with 46% with [redacted phone] individuals. In 1800 the small portion of individuals is displaying in table that is 18701 with 24%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts, which are central features of the tables. Several figures are reported accurately, including the city totals and the 2000 share of 81% for the other districts. However, the overview is vague, and some comparisons are unclear or misleading. For example, calling Manhattan’s change from 1800 to 1900 “the biggest change” does not explain that its population later fell, from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096, even as the city total continued to grow. The response also does not clearly state that the other districts’ population rose substantially at each date. Select the main trends and compare them explicitly across the three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph discussing the district figures. This gives the reader some sense of the information’s order. However, progression within the paragraphs is difficult to follow because several comparisons are placed together without clear links. For instance, the discussion moves from Manhattan’s 1800–1900 figures to its 2000 share, then to the other districts’ 1900 and 1800 data. Connectors such as “However” and “By comparing” do not always show the relationship between the points that follow. Group the information chronologically or compare Manhattan with the other districts at each date, and use clearer referencing so each figure’s subject is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “proportion,” “district,” and “by comparing.” This gives you a basic range for the task. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes makes the intended comparison hard to understand. Phrases such as “increase the population,” “major change is dispaly,” and “the smallest change in Manhattan district” do not express the trends precisely; “population share” and “population declined” would be more suitable in context. Spelling errors, including “dispaly,” “remainig,” and “staten island,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for a small set of precise trend verbs and comparison phrases, and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, but control is inconsistent, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to interpret. For example, “The tables illustrates” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “Different districts … shows” repeats this problem. The opening phrase “illustrates increase the population” is missing grammatical elements, and “from 1800 to 1900 in only year” has an incomplete time expression. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also unreliable, as in “1850093(54%) … only year.From table.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, check singular and plural agreement, and separate clauses with appropriate punctuation. Practising accurate comparative sentence patterns will help you report the figures more clearly.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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