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 tables depicts about variation in total population of New York City and other discticts such as Mahattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island from 1800 to 2000.

In summary, Population of New York City is substantially increased over the period. Mahattan Population is drastically declined whereas population of other states was dramatically increased.

New York in the year 1800 had a population around 80000 in next century it was increased more than 3times. Lastly in 2000 it was skyrocketed to 10times comapred to 1800.

Manhattan's population was 76 percent of Newyork in 1800 later it was decreased to 54 and 19 percent in consecutive decades. Whereas other districts population was increased from 24 to 81 percent from .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad trends: the city’s population grew, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other districts’ share rose. However, the report is only partial and under-developed. It gives percentages but omits key population figures, including Manhattan’s rise from 60,515 to 1,850,093 and subsequent fall to 1,538,096, as well as the other districts’ growth to 6,471,089. The statement that the total population became “10 times” its 1800 level is inaccurate; it was about 101 times as large by 2000. The response also ends with an incomplete phrase (“from .”). It is 32 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail available. Include a clear overview and accurate comparisons supported by selected figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview beginning “In summary,” and two further statements about the data. This gives the reader some sense of the report’s direction. However, the progression is limited, and the final sentence is unfinished, leaving the comparison of the other districts incomplete. Linking is also repetitive and sometimes unclear: “whereas” introduces a contrast, but the relationship between the total population and the district figures is not developed. Organise the details into a clear sequence—for example, total population first, then Manhattan compared with the combined other districts—and use complete sentences with explicit references to the years. This would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing change, including “increased,” “declined,” and “dramatically,” and you attempt to summarise the main trends. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings reduce clarity. “Other states” is inaccurate for the city’s districts, while “skyrocketed” is too informal for an academic report. There are also noticeable spelling errors in “discticts,” “Mahattan,” “comapred,” and “Newyork.” Use precise terms such as “districts,” “population share,” “rose,” and “fell,” and check spelling carefully. More accurate vocabulary would help distinguish changes in population numbers from changes in percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and linked sentences, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. The opening, “The tables depicts about variation,” has subject–verb agreement and sentence-construction problems. In “Population of New York City is substantially increased,” the verb form is incorrect; a past-tense form is needed for this historical period. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “in next century it was increased more than 3times.” The final phrase, “from .,” is incomplete. These errors sometimes make the intended relationships difficult to understand. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and build complete sentences around each comparison, using punctuation to separate the overview from supporting details.

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