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 first table illustrates changes in the total amount of population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables displays also the changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Overall, all cities like New York and other districts have increase in the total population over the period except Manhattan where increase between 1800 and 1900 then decrease after that in 2000.

Firstly, in New York city, it's evident that the total population are significantly increase from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000.

On the other hand, Manhattan represent 79% of the total population with 60,515 people in 1800 then decrease significantly to 19% in 2000 despite of increasing in the population into 1,538,096

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and note that Manhattan’s share fell, which are relevant main features. However, the response covers the tables only partially: it gives no figures for 1900 in the city-wide trend, omits the other districts’ growth and their rising share, and does not compare the three dates in enough detail. There is also a factual error: Manhattan accounted for 76%, not 79%, in 1800. The overview is unclear when it says “all cities like New York and other districts,” and the Manhattan trend is not fully explained. The response is 112 words, below the required 150, so it lacks the space needed to report and compare the key data fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details, and “Firstly” and “On the other hand” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, the progression is limited: the final paragraph ends without completing the comparison, and the other districts are not discussed. Some linking is also inaccurate or confusing; “On the other hand” does not clearly connect the Manhattan figures to the preceding city-wide statement, while “all cities like New York and other districts” makes the overview difficult to follow. Organise the report into a clear overview and two data-focused paragraphs, grouping the city total with the district figures and using links that express the actual relationship between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “total population,” “districts,” “represent,” and “decrease significantly,” so the subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, making parts of the report awkward. For example, “total amount of population” is not a natural expression, “all cities like New York” does not describe the data accurately, and “despite of increasing” is incorrectly formed as a phrase. Repetition of “population” and “increase/decrease” also limits precision. Aim for concise data-reporting language such as “the city’s population,” “accounted for,” “rose,” and “fell,” and check that each phrase describes a population, proportion, or district appropriately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast in “despite of increasing in the population,” but control is inconsistent and errors occur frequently. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “the second and third tables displays” and “the total population are,” as well as the incorrect verb form “have increase.” The overview also has a faulty sequence of tenses in “where increase between 1800 and 1900 then decrease after that.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation need attention, particularly the unfinished final comparison. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and agreement, for example, “The population increased” and “the tables show,” before adding more complex clauses.

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