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 Table illustrate changes in population in New york districts namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, between 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population in all 5 districts has been increased each decades. In 1800 the total population in new york was 79,216 and it rose to 34,37,202 by 1900 floowinf significant increase of 80,09,185 by 2000.

In districts wise, 76% of the population was manhattan in 1800, it increased 54%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and report the overall city population figures for 1800 and 1900, and you begin to compare Manhattan’s share. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it stops before describing the 2000 district figures or the major shift from Manhattan to the other four districts. The statement that all five districts increased is also inaccurate for Manhattan, whose population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. The total for 2000 is written unclearly, and the district comparison is unfinished. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the key features unsupported. Include a complete overview and compare the main changes across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then a district-focused paragraph. This gives the reader some indication of the intended structure. However, the progression is not completed, because the final sentence ends at “it increased 54%” and does not explain the comparison or move to the other districts. Linking is limited, and the overview’s figures are difficult to follow within the sentence. Develop each paragraph around a complete point, use clear transitions such as “By contrast” to signal the change in Manhattan’s share, and check that each sentence connects logically to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “total population,” and “significant increase,” so the subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “districts wise” and “has been increased.” Spelling and capitalisation errors, including “New york” and “floowinf,” also reduce clarity. Use precise language for describing figures and trends, and avoid repeating general terms when a more specific expression is available. For example, distinguish a population increase from a change in a district’s percentage share; Manhattan’s share decreased even though its population had previously grown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer sentence with a time comparison, and the opening communicates the general subject. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to interpret. For example, “The Table illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “between 1800 to 2000” uses an incorrect preposition pattern. “The population … has been increased” is not an appropriate verb construction, and the sentence reporting the totals lacks clear grammatical structure. The final sentence is incomplete. Practise accurate past-tense comparisons and build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then check agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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