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 first table is about the population of New York city from 1800 to 2000.during the year 1800 the population was 79,216 so the popuation was very less as campared to the year 1900 in which population was 3,437,202. These population number give us the informaation that population is increasing day by day . There will be many reason of these increasing number. The second table show that population is increasing by from 76 percent to 54 percent mean there is huge increase which we can easily analyze from the table from 1800 to 1900 in Manhattn district. In the first table population increase from 3,437,202 to 8,009,185 from 1900 to 2000 so there was also increasing number and it seemed that population is doubling in the next year . The other district like Brooklyn ,Bronx , Queens and Staten island their percentage shows that the population is doubled from 1800 to 1900 as the increased of 24 percent to 46 percent . The number is then increased to 81 percent in 2000 in other district , the population in Manhattan is decreasing it means people seems shifting from Manhattan to other districts .

Overall the population is increasing in new york but some district decreased the population percentage while other are increasing it .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and compare Manhattan with the other districts, including the shift in their shares from 1800 to 2000. However, the account is only partly accurate and the main features are not consistently selected or explained. In particular, Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 54%, so describing this as a “huge increase” reverses the trend; its population also rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000. The claim that the city’s population “is doubling in the next year” is unsupported by the table. Include a clear overview and report the key changes accurately, distinguishing population totals from percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some organisation: you move from the citywide figures to Manhattan and then the other districts, and use time references such as “from 1800 to 1900.” However, the response is largely one continuous paragraph, and the sequence of comparisons is difficult to follow. The repeated use of “in the first table” and “the population” makes the progression feel mechanical, while links such as “so” and “it means” do not always show a clear relationship between the data and your conclusion. Separate the response into an introduction, an overview, and detail paragraphs. Group the figures by period or by Manhattan versus the other districts, and use clearer references to show which population or percentage each sentence describes.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general subject, with relevant terms such as “population,” “percentage,” “district,” and “increasing.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning unclear. For example, “very less” is not a natural way to describe a smaller figure, and “population is doubled” does not accurately express the change in share. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “popuation,” “informaation,” and “Manhattn.” Aim for precise data-reporting language and check spelling carefully. Useful alternatives include “rose substantially,” “accounted for,” and “declined in share,” chosen according to the figures being described.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including comparisons across years, but control is inconsistent. Several sentences join multiple ideas without clear punctuation, as in “These population number give us the information that population is increasing day by day.” There are also errors in agreement and sentence structure: “The second table show” needs a plural subject with a matching verb, and “population is increasing by from 76 percent to 54 percent” is not grammatically well formed. Capitalisation and spacing around sentence boundaries are also inconsistent. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine related information with accurate clauses. Use past-tense forms for the historical data and check subject–verb agreement and punctuation before submitting.

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