Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-18

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 1800 the population of all five districts of new york city were 79216.

And in 1900 these population were almost 4 times increased [redacted phone] and in 2000 alomost 2.5 % more incresed and reached upto [redacted phone].

Now I'll compare different five districts and their population increased by percentage.

In manhattan city (1800) 60515 population percentage were 76% and in 1900 it decrease to 54 % and 2000 it almost 19% which shows a clear difference in population.

compares to another 4 districts like brooklyn,bronx,queens and satten islands the percentage of total population were 24 % in 1800 which is almost 3 times less population than manhattan districts and 1900 it will increase to 46 % and in 2000 it increased to 81 % .Manhattan has more population than other four districts of new york city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad changes in the city’s population and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other four districts. However, the overview is not clearly stated, and some comparisons are inaccurate or confusing. The total population rose from 79,216 to 3,437,202 and then 8,009,185, but describing these increases as “almost 4 times” and “almost 2.5% more” is misleading; the figures represent much larger multiples, not percentage increases of those sizes. You also conclude that Manhattan “has more population” than the other districts, although by 2000 the other four districts together had 6,471,089 people compared with Manhattan’s 1,538,096. The response is 14 words below the required minimum. Add a clear overview and report the comparisons accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable order: it first reports the citywide totals, then compares Manhattan with the other districts. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the organisation is limited to a sequence of loosely connected statements, and there is no distinct overview to guide the reader towards the main trends. Linking phrases such as “And,” “Now,” and “compares to” are either informal or awkward, while the final comparison repeats earlier information without resolving the contradiction about which group had the larger population. Use a clear paragraph structure—an overview followed by grouped details—and connect comparisons with precise expressions such as “whereas” and “by contrast”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “increased,” and “decrease,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning imprecise: “population were almost 4 times increased,” “2.5% more increased,” and “percentage of total population were” are not natural ways to describe the data. Spelling errors such as “alomost,” “incresed,” and “satten” are also noticeable, and the repeated use of “increased” limits variety. Aim for accurate reporting phrases such as “rose to,” “accounted for,” and “the share fell,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response communicates the general topic, but grammatical control is inconsistent and the sentence patterns are mostly simple, with attempts at longer comparisons often becoming faulty. For example, “the population … were 79216” has subject–verb disagreement, while “in 1900 these population were” uses an incorrect determiner and verb form. The sentence beginning “compares to another 4 districts” is also structurally incomplete, and punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including sentence openings such as “And” and “compares.” These errors sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to follow. Practise forming complete comparison sentences with accurate subjects and verbs, and use a wider range of controlled structures, such as “Although Manhattan’s share fell, the other districts’ share rose.”

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