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 first data box gives the fluctuation in the count of people in the city of New York,while the second and third box of data provides the fluctuation in the peoples of five districts of city across the same interval of time.

Overall, it shows the count of people in New York had been increased in two centuries and also shows that the most prominant number of people had been increased in the district of Manhattan during the period of [redacted phone].

However, when we see the population OF Manhattan in three centuries,the count of people rised about 76 percent in 1800 as comapared to the other districts whose population increased by 24 percent likewise,the number increased by 54 percent in manhattan as compared to other districts which is showed as 46 percent moreover,in 2000 the percentage in other cities experienced the highest rise which is 81 percent as compared to manhattan whose percentage falls dramaticlly as compared to its previous records.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and compare Manhattan with the other districts, so the response is relevant to the tables. However, the overview is incomplete and one key trend is misrepresented: Manhattan’s population did not increase from 1900 to 2000; it fell from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096, while its share declined from 54% to 19%. The figures 76%, 54% and 81% are shares of the total population, not amounts by which populations increased. The response also omits the city’s overall figures and gives little precise comparison of population counts. Select the main trends accurately, distinguish population totals from percentages, and support the overview with key data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an overview and a further comparison, which gives it some basic organisation. However, the progression is difficult to follow: the second paragraph says Manhattan had the most prominent increase, while the final paragraph shifts between percentages and population without clearly explaining the comparison. Linking words such as “likewise” and “moreover” are used, but they do not make the relationships between the figures clear, and the final sentence is especially long. Organise the report around the overall city trend and then the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts. Use shorter, clearly connected sentences and refer explicitly to population totals or percentage shares.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “percentage” and “compared to,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning unclear. For example, “fluctuation” suggests repeated rises and falls, although the tables show changes across three dates, and “the peoples of five districts” is not a natural way to describe population. There are also spelling errors such as “prominant,” “comapared” and “dramaticlly.” Choose precise terms for trends and shares, and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison joined with “as compared to,” but control is inconsistent and errors frequently affect clarity. For example, “the first data box … while the second and third box … provides” has agreement problems, and “the count of people rised” uses an incorrect verb form. The long final sentence also lacks clear sentence boundaries and contains several clauses joined without effective punctuation. Articles and number agreement are also unreliable, as in “the second and third box.” Practise accurate past-tense forms and subject–verb agreement, and divide complex comparisons into shorter sentences with clear punctuation.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.