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 table below illustrates 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.

Overall, New York City ( all five districts) population increased over the years. The second table shows that the effect on the districts' population of the city decreased over the years. In the third table, the population rose over the years.

The New York City ( all five districts) population in the year 1800 was 79,216. While in the year 1900 it was 3,437,202. However, in 2000 it was 8,009,185.In addition, the Manhattan District, the population in the year 1800 it was 60,515, by 76 percent. While in the year 1900, the population increase accounted for 54 percent. In the year 2000, the population was reduced by 1,538,096, around 19 percent.

In other districts ( brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island), in the year 1800, the population was 24 percent.While in the year 1900 it increased

1,587,109, around 46 percent. In 2000, it higly rose significantly to 6,471,098, around 81 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You include the main time points and several accurate figures, including the city totals and Manhattan’s 2000 population and share. You also identify the broad shift from Manhattan toward the other districts. However, the overview is unclear: saying the “effect on the districts’ population ... decreased” does not accurately describe the changing share, and the distinction between Manhattan and the other districts is not clearly summarised. Some figures are misreported or described imprecisely: the other districts’ 2000 population is 6,471,089, not 6,471,098, and Manhattan’s population fell after 1900 rather than being “reduced by” that amount. To improve, state the key contrast clearly and report changes in population and percentage share accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the city, Manhattan, and the other districts. This gives the reader some organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and several linking devices are used mechanically or create incomplete sentences. For example, “While in the year 1900...” is not a complete sentence, and “However” does not express a clear contrast in the sequence of city totals. The overview also refers to a “second” and “third” table without making the comparison between them clear. Group the figures by the main trend, use complete sentences, and connect comparisons directly—for example, contrast Manhattan’s declining share with the other districts’ rising share.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “accounted for,” “increased,” and “rose,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or awkward, which makes comparisons less precise. “The effect on the districts’ population ... decreased” does not convey a clear statistical trend; “population was reduced by 1,538,096” suggests a decrease of that amount, rather than giving the 2000 figure; and “higly rose significantly” is both misspelled and redundant. Aim for precise reporting verbs and collocations such as “accounted for,” “declined to,” and “grew to.” Check spelling and avoid combining two intensifiers with the same meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer structures and uses past-tense forms to describe historical data, but sentence control is inconsistent. Several clauses are fragments: “While in the year 1900 it was 3,437,202” and “While in the year 1900 it increased...” cannot stand alone with “while” in this use. There are also faulty sentence patterns, as in “the Manhattan District, the population in the year 1800 it was 60,515,” where the subject is repeated and the clause is not properly formed. Punctuation and spacing also need attention, such as the missing space after “8,009,185.” Build complete sentences around each comparison, and check subject–verb structure and punctuation before finishing.

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