Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given first table demonstrates changes in the population rates of the new york city between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables illustrate information about the changes of the population rates of the five several districts during the same period. Overall, the population in the new york city was continuously growing . First 2 century the percentages of total population of Manhattan were increasing compared to other districts but In 2000, the Inhabitants of other districts surpassed the population of Manhattan .

According to the first table, the citizens who lived in new york city were growing rapidly during the given timeline. In 1800 the Inhabitants of new york only 79216 . The population in this city reached its highest level in the 2000 that was 8,009,185 on the other hand the rates of population was not enough rising in the year of 1900 .

If the tables of the first two centuries—that was, the second and first centuries—are compared, the second table was not higher than the first table. In 2000 the population level in others district surpassed the percentage of Manhattan .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and note the major shift from Manhattan to the other districts by 2000. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: Manhattan’s share did not increase during the first two centuries; it fell from 76% in 1800 to 54% in 1900, then to 19% in 2000. The statement that the 1900 population did not rise much is also contradicted by the increase from 79,216 to 3,437,202. Most importantly, the district tables are not meaningfully summarised: the final paragraph makes unclear comparisons and gives no accurate account of the figures. Select the key changes, report the contrasting trends, and support them with relevant data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an introduction, an attempted overview, and separate body paragraphs, so there is some basic organisation. However, the progression is difficult to follow, especially in the final paragraph: “If the tables of the first two centuries…are compared” does not clearly identify what is being compared, and “the second table was not higher than the first table” is hard to interpret. Linking phrases such as “on the other hand” do not establish a clear contrast between the figures that follow. The overview also repeats ideas later without developing them. Organise the report around the overall population trend and then the contrasting district trends, using clear references and comparisons to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “surpassed,” and the reader can generally identify the subject. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “population rates” for population figures and “five several districts.” Repetition of “population” and “Inhabitants” also makes the report less precise. Capitalisation and spelling are inconsistent in “new york city” and “Inhabitants.” Choose vocabulary that describes the data accurately, such as “population,” “share,” and “accounted for,” and use natural collocations. This would make comparisons clearer and reduce the effort required to understand some sentences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “Overall” and a conditional comparison beginning “If the tables…are compared.” However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to understand. For example, “In 1800 the Inhabitants of new york only 79216” lacks a finite verb, while “the citizens who lived in new york city were growing rapidly” gives the population an incorrect grammatical role. There are also problems with articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation, including spaces before full stops. Practise forming complete subject–verb sentences and checking tense and agreement before adding longer clauses.

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