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)

in these tables present population changes in 1800 to 2000.

overall, in new york city, brooklyn,bronx,queens,and staten island increase populaion rapidly while manhanttan tabl shows steadily decrease population.

in 1800, shows population 79,216 and increase constantly in 1900,and 2000 in all five districts of new york city.in contrace, other districts present the rapidly increase percentage of total population in 1800 shows 24 percentage of population while,in 2000,shows 81 percentage of totak population.

in second table presnt the different growth pf population in manhattan,in this table shows the number of population decrease in every year. in 1800 shows the 76 highiest number of percentage. while,in 2000,number of population decreases 19 percentage.

in summary, all yhe tables shows different growth of population .in new york city and other districts shows gratually increase percentage while in manhattan constantly decrease the number of population and shows the lowes number of population in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast between Manhattan and the other districts, and your overview notes that Manhattan’s share falls while the other districts’ share rises. However, the account is incomplete and some trends are imprecise: Manhattan’s population does not decrease in every period, since it rises from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000. You also say the city’s population “increase constantly” without reporting its final total or clearly comparing the three dates. The response is one word below the required minimum. To strengthen coverage, include the city’s overall growth and the key reversal in Manhattan’s population, using accurate figures and a concise overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an identifiable opening, overview, body discussion and summary, so the reader can recognise an attempt to organise the information. However, progression is limited: the second paragraph moves between the city total and the other districts’ percentages, then the next paragraph returns to Manhattan without a clear comparison linking the figures. Connectors such as “in contrast,” “while” and “in summary” are used, but some are awkwardly placed or do not clarify the relationship between ideas. Repetition of “in 1800 shows” and “in 2000 shows” also makes the account feel list-like. Group the city-wide figures together, then compare Manhattan with the other districts, and use clear references to avoid repeating the same sentence pattern.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary includes relevant terms such as “population,” “percentage,” “increase” and “decrease,” which help communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, especially “shows” and “number of population.” There are also frequent spelling and word-form problems, including “populaion,” “manhanttan,” “totak” and “gratually,” which make the writing less clear and less controlled. Some combinations are unnatural, such as “increase population rapidly” and “highiest number of percentage.” Build a more precise set of trend expressions and check spelling carefully; for example, distinguish a population’s size from its share of the city total.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to use simple and linked sentences, including contrasts with “while” and “in contrast,” but many sentences contain frequent grammatical errors that sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. For example, “in these tables present population changes” lacks a clear subject and verb structure, while “in 1800 shows population 79,216 and increase constantly” has problems with tense, articles and sentence construction. Subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “all yhe tables shows.” Most clauses follow a similar basic pattern, and attempts to combine ideas are often faulty. Practise complete sentences with an explicit subject and verb, and use past-tense forms consistently when describing the historical data.

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