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)

In these tables, we can see the New York City population which has been categorised in year population and as percentage in total there are three tables ,the first table shows all the five districts with year and the population, the population has increased in the year between 1800 to 2000 with approximate population from seventy thousand people to eighty lakh people within the same year between 1800 to 2000 there is another table with specified city called Manhattan where it is increased between 1800 to 1900 in the range between the population of 50 % to 80% but decreased in the year of 2000 with the population of 1,538,096 and the total percentage of population of 19% . Its share of New York city’s total population share from 76% to 19%. Now the last table shows the population of other four districts Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island in three different years.In the year 1800 population represents 24% and in the year 1900 it has increased upto 46% lastly in the year of 2000 the population has sharply upto 81% in the chart. So this shows us that while Manhattan's share decreased, the share of the other four districts increased.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast: Manhattan’s share falls while the other districts’ share rises, and you include relevant figures for 2000. However, some key data are misreported or unclear. Manhattan’s population did not rise from “50% to 80%”; its population increased to 1,850,093 in 1900, then fell to 1,538,096, while its share changed from 76% to 54% to 19%. The citywide growth from 79,216 to 8,009,185 is described only approximately, and the 1900 total is omitted. The response therefore covers the tables only partially, with limited development of the most important comparisons. State the overall population trend accurately and distinguish population totals from percentage shares throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows the tables in sequence and ends with a useful summary of the opposing share trends. This gives it some organisation. However, the opening is a long, crowded sentence that mixes the task description with the main trend, and the discussion moves between population totals and percentages without clear transitions. Phrases such as “in the year between 1800 to 2000” and “Now the last table” make progression repetitive and sometimes difficult to follow. Separate the response into a brief overview and focused paragraphs, grouping the citywide figures and district comparisons. Use clear references and linking phrases only where they show a genuine relationship between the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant terms such as “population,” “percentage,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “share,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or awkward, including “increased upto,” “population has sharply upto 81%,” and “specified city called Manhattan.” “Population” is also repeated frequently, while “in the chart” is imprecise because the information is presented in tables. Choose precise language for numerical comparisons, and use “proportion” or “accounted for” when describing shares. More accurate collocations would make the report clearer and more natural without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences and use some subordinate clauses, for example, “while Manhattan’s share decreased, the share of the other four districts increased.” However, many sentences are difficult to control, especially the opening, which joins several ideas with commas and lacks clear sentence boundaries. There are recurring problems with verb forms and sentence patterns, as in “the population has sharply upto 81%,” and with prepositions in “between 1800 to 2000.” Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, including the missing space after “years.” Use shorter, complete sentences to report each comparison, check that every verb has a clear subject, and use past-tense forms consistently for the historical data.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.