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 graph displays the breif information of the changes those happened overall in 200 years.

The total increase of the population in New York City is huge. Ranging from 79,216 to 8,009,185 in 200 years where as the population of the five district's population increase can also be seen. As Manhattan grew from 60,515 to 1,538,096 while the other districts went from 18,701 to 6,471,089.

As we look at the city growth, where manhattan had 60,515 in 1800s Other districts had 18,701, 1,850,093 in 1900s Other districts had 1,587,109 and where Manhattan had 1,538,096 Other districts had 6,471,089 in the 2000s.

So comparitively the population growth in the other districts collectively are greater than the Manhattan itself, first of all because of the collectively collected population and second because of the area provided between the districts rather than one. And there's a huge difference with the percentage of total growth as the Manhattan population growth decreased gradually from 76% to 19%, the other five districts growth increased from 24% to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad pattern: New York City’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ combined share increased. Several figures are also reported accurately, including the 1800 and 2000 totals and the district populations. However, the response does not clearly summarise the key stages: Manhattan’s population rose to a peak of 1,850,093 in 1900 before declining by 2000, whereas the other districts grew throughout. The overview is weakened by calling this “the percentage of total growth” rather than population share, and the explanation about area is not supported by the tables. Select the main trends more precisely and distinguish population totals from percentages to make the report more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some organisation, moving from a general statement to figures and then a comparison. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the second and third paragraphs repeat several of the same figures, and the long sentence beginning “As we look at the city growth” is difficult to follow because the years and district values are crowded together. Linking phrases such as “So comparatively” and “first of all” do not create a clear sequence of data points or comparisons. Use a concise overview paragraph followed by a paragraph comparing Manhattan with the other districts across the three years. Clearer sentence boundaries and references would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant terms, including “population,” “districts,” “percentage,” and “decreased gradually,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward for a formal data report. “Breif information” is not a natural description of a table summary, while “collectively collected population” is repetitive and unclear. “Population growth decreased” also blurs the distinction between a population total and its share of the city total. Spelling errors such as “comparitively” and “manhattan” further reduce control. Aim for precise reporting language and check spelling, especially for key terms and place names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to use longer structures, but complex sentences are often incomplete or difficult to control. For example, “Ranging from 79,216 to 8,009,185 in 200 years” is a fragment, and “As we look at the city growth, where manhattan had…” does not form a clear grammatical sentence. The opening sentence also has an awkward construction: “the changes those happened.” Tense and sentence boundaries are inconsistent, and the final sentence joins several ideas without clear punctuation. Use complete subject–verb sentences, keep past-tense reporting consistent, and separate comparisons into shorter clauses. These changes would improve accuracy and make the data easier to understand.

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