Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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 provided tables delineat transformations in the amount of overall population of New York city, alongside its five distinct districts named Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over two hundred years.

Overall, it is evident that the people prefer more and more to settle down in New York city over the years. Even though Manhattan dominated as living priority once, by 2000 other districts became more famous to live in.

From the first table, where it illustrated the growing population of New York City, showed a healty flourished number of growth. In 1800, the city only had 79216 people all five districts

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the broad contrast that Manhattan was dominant earlier while the other districts accounted for a larger share by 2000. However, the response addresses the tables only minimally: it gives just the 1800 city total and stops before reporting the 1900 and 2000 totals or the district figures and changes. The overview’s claim that people increasingly preferred to settle in the city is not established by these tables, which show population counts rather than preferences. The response is also below the required 150 words, leaving the main features substantially unreported. To improve, summarise the city’s rise from 79,216 to 8,009,185, and compare Manhattan’s declining share with the other districts’ growth to 81% by 2000.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introduction is followed by an overview and then a paragraph referring to the first table. The contrast introduced by “Even though” gives the overview some direction. However, the final paragraph is incomplete, ending after the 1800 figure, so the response has no clear progression through the data and no concluding comparison. Linking is also limited, and “From the first table, where it illustrated…” does not connect the table reference smoothly to the information that follows. Develop separate, complete paragraphs for the overall population and the district comparison, using clear links such as “By contrast” and “By 2000” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt some task-related vocabulary, including “overall population,” “districts,” “dominated,” and “settle down,” and the reader can generally identify the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing statistical tables. “People prefer more and more to settle down” suggests a change in personal preference that the data do not show, while “a healthy flourished number of growth” is difficult to interpret. “Living priority” and “more famous to live in” are also unsuitable collocations. Use precise language for numerical trends and proportions, such as “the population increased,” “accounted for,” and “the share of residents.” Check spelling and capitalisation, including “healthy” and “New York City.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes an attempt at a complex sentence in “Even though Manhattan dominated as living priority once, by 2000 other districts became more famous to live in,” as well as a simple statement of the 1800 figure. However, control is inconsistent, and the final sentence is incomplete: “In 1800, the city only had 79216 people all five districts” lacks a grammatical connection between the population and the districts. The construction “From the first table, where it illustrated …, showed” also combines clauses incorrectly, with no clear subject for “showed.” Practise complete sentence patterns, for example, “The first table shows that the city’s population rose from …,” and use consistent past-tense reporting for the historical figures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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