Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 changes of all combined populations from year 1800 to 2000. There are five districts which has been shown in table second and third,It includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island

In 1800, the population of all five districts was 79,216. In which 76% were from Manhattan and 24% came from other states which are given

In 1900, the total number of people was 3,437,202, and in this 54% of people were in Manhattan, and 46% stayed at other states like Brooklyn or the Bronx, etc

The last year, 2000, there were 8,009,185 people in total, of which 19% only belonged to Manhattan and the rest of them, which are 81%, decided to stay in other 5 states

Comparing all these years the highest population of Manhattan was in 1800, and for other five states which are Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, they had highest number of people in 2000

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You report the total population in all three years and identify the main shift in the districts’ shares: Manhattan’s proportion falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share rises to 81%. You also correctly note that Manhattan’s population is highest in 1900, not 1800? In fact, the figures show its peak was 1,850,093 in 1900, so the final comparison contains a significant misreading. The phrase “other 5 states” is also inaccurate: these are four other districts, not states. The response gives limited analysis beyond listing figures and shares, and it lacks a clear overview of the overall growth and changing distribution. Select the key trends accurately and summarise them explicitly before giving supporting data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly chronological order, moving from 1800 to 1900 and then 2000, so the reader can follow the time sequence. However, it has no distinct overview, and the final comparison is not clearly connected to the preceding figures. Several sentences begin in similar ways (“In 1800,” “In 1900,” “The last year”), making the progression repetitive rather than well developed. Some references are unclear, such as “In which 76%” and “the rest of them,” while the opening sentence runs into the list of districts without effective punctuation. Organise the report into an introduction, a concise overview, and data paragraphs, using clear links and references to make comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant terms, including “total population,” “percentage,” and “highest population,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, vocabulary is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unsuitable for describing demographic data. “Other states” and “five states” mislabel the districts, while “decided to stay” suggests a deliberate choice by residents. Phrases such as “changes of all combined populations” and “came from” are also imprecise or awkward. Use standard reporting language such as “accounted for,” “the remaining districts,” and “the population increased.” More precise vocabulary would help distinguish population totals from proportions and make the comparisons sound objective and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates the broad sequence of years, but grammatical control is uneven and sentence structures are mostly simple, with attempts at longer constructions that are not consistently accurate. For example, “There are five districts which has been shown” has an agreement error, and “In which 76% were from Manhattan” is an incomplete sentence. The opening also joins clauses with a comma and then runs directly into “It includes,” while punctuation is missing before the list of districts. “The last year, 2000” is an awkward time construction, and “the rest of them, which are 81%” does not form a clear grammatical comparison. Practise complete sentences, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation when joining clauses; these will make the data easier to interpret.

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