Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 charts illustrate the change in the New York city.According to changing centuries.And there are two more charts that demonstrate change in the New york districts such as Manhattan,.Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and staten island.

Overall the charts are showing the increase in population.The first chart illustrate the increase in the population of allover New york.It includes different centuries such as 18s,19s and 20s.The second chart show the change in the Manhattan district.It revolve around 18s,19, and 20s.Last chart demonstrate the changes in popolution of five other districts of new york.Which include Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens and staten island.

The first chart starts from the 18s century and ends at 20s century .In 18s populaion is 79,216 and in 19s it increases to 3,437,202 and in 20s it increases to 8,009,185.

In second chart we are shown the increase in the population in the Manhattan district .It also shows three centuries .In 18s the increase in popluation is 60,515 76%,and in 19s its pooulation is 1,850,093 54%,and the last one is1,538,096 19%.

The last demostrate the increase in the population of other five district. in 18s the increase in the population is 18,701 24%,in 19s it incresesupto 1,587,109 46% and in 20s it increases upto 6,471,089.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You report the main overall rise in New York’s population and include relevant figures for all three years, while also noting Manhattan’s changing share and the growth of the other districts. However, the overview is repetitive and does not clearly identify the most important contrast: Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 and then fell, whereas the other districts grew sharply and accounted for most residents by 2000. Some descriptions are inaccurate or unclear, such as saying Manhattan’s population increased in 2000, when it declined from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096. The response also refers to the years as “18s,” “19s” and “20s” rather than clearly identifying the years or centuries. Select the key trends and compare them explicitly to make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the total population, Manhattan, and the other districts. This helps the reader locate the information. However, progression is limited because the overview largely repeats the introduction, and the body follows the tables one by one without drawing out comparisons between them. Linking is also mechanical, with repeated openings such as “The first chart,” “In second chart,” and “The last.” Several sentence breaks interrupt ideas, for example, “According to changing centuries” and “Which include Brooklyn...” are fragments rather than connected information. Group the main trends together and use clear references and transitions to show how the districts’ shares changed in relation to the city total.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “population,” “increase,” “district,” and “percentage,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, especially “increase in the population” and “change.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the charts are showing,” “It revolve around,” and “the increase in population is 60,515 76%,” where the wording does not clearly distinguish population figures from percentages. Spelling errors—including “popolution,” “populaion,” “demostrate,” and “incresesupto”—also reduce clarity. Build a more precise set of trend verbs and comparison phrases, and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Most sentences use simple structures, and the reader can usually identify the figures being reported. However, grammatical errors are frequent, and attempts to connect ideas often produce incomplete or faulty sentences. For example, “According to changing centuries” is a fragment, while “Which include Brooklyn...” is an incomplete relative clause. There are also errors in agreement and verb forms: “The first chart illustrate,” “The second chart show,” and “It revolve” need third-person singular forms. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, with missing spaces after full stops and commas, and some sentences run together. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine related information with correctly formed clauses and consistent punctuation.

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