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)
The first table shows the total population and changes in New York City from 1800 to 2000, while the second and third tables shows the population across five different districts and changes over the same period.
Overall, the first figure shows the total population across New York City from 1800 to 2000 whereas the second figure shows the percentage of population in Manhattan across three different years from 1800 to 2000 but the overall percentage of 1800 remains high. The third figure shows population across five different cities.
Firstly, the changes in population of New York City from 1800 to 2000 varies. The most high count on 2000 era while the lowest one counts on 1800 across five districts. It means the population constantly grows with no decline.
On the other hand, the second and third figure shows the population percentage across five different cities from 1800 to 2000. The Manhattan table have highest percentage of total population in 1800 and the lowest one is in 2000 whereas the other districts have lowest percentage of total population in 1800 and highest in 2000 (81%) means gradually increases with time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad trends: New York City’s population was highest in 2000, and Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose. The figures you do mention, including 81% for the other districts in 2000, match the tables. However, the response only partially reports the data: it gives no population figures and misses the important comparison that Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096, even as the city total continued to grow. The overview also misdescribes the tables as covering “five different cities”; they show Manhattan and the combined other districts. Select key figures and explain this contrast more clearly.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The response has an identifiable introduction, overview and body paragraphs, and phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited: the third paragraph repeats the general population trend without supporting it with figures, and the final paragraph largely restates the percentage comparison. References such as “the first figure,” “the second and third figure,” and “the other districts” are not always clear or accurate, making it harder to follow which table is being discussed. Organise the report around the city-wide trend and the contrasting district trends, and use precise references and linking phrases to connect evidence to each point.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “gradually increases,” so the main topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the most high count,” “the lowest one counts,” and “five different cities.” Repetition of “population,” “figure,” and “shows” also makes the report less precise. Use standard data-reporting collocations such as “the population peaked at,” “accounted for,” and “the proportion declined,” while distinguishing districts from cities. More accurate vocabulary would help you describe the figures and comparisons without relying on vague phrases like “the overall percentage of 1800 remains high.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a result clause with “It means,” but control is inconsistent. Agreement errors occur in “the second and third tables shows” and “The Manhattan table have”; the subject and verb do not match. There are also problems with sentence construction and tense, for example “The most high count on 2000 era while the lowest one counts on 1800,” which lacks a clear main verb and uses an unsuitable form. Some sentences are understandable, but these recurring errors make relationships between ideas less clear. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and complete comparative sentences, such as “The total was highest in 2000, whereas Manhattan’s share was lowest.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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