Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-23

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 three tabels illustrated change in the total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000.

overall,in 1800 the population showed the smallest share of number at 79000 approximately while after ten decades it rose up dramatically up to 34 lac approximately.the city manattan gave us the highest number as we comared to other four cities.

in addition, in 2000 new york city population increased significantly up to 80 lac which showed population incrreased in all cities.the city mahattan contributed 54 percent of population in 1900.meanwhile,other district gave 46 percent in population .in 2000 mahattan city population dropped rapidly up to 19 percent only remained.On the other hand, other districts contributed dramatically 81 percent of population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the changing shares of Manhattan and the other districts, including the key 1900 and 2000 percentages. However, the response only partially covers the data: it omits the exact population figures for the districts and does not clearly report that Manhattan’s population rose from 60,515 to 1,850,093 before falling to 1,538,096. The claim that Manhattan had the highest number compared with the other four cities is unclear and does not accurately describe the grouped data. The response is 105 words, 45 short of the required minimum, which limits the detail and comparisons provided. Develop a fuller overview and support it with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic sequence from the overall population to district shares, and signposts such as “overall,” “in addition,” and “on the other hand” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the response is presented as one paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. The progression is also difficult to follow: the discussion moves from 1800 to 1900, then 2000, and back to Manhattan’s 1900 share without a consistent structure. Some linking phrases are used mechanically, and “in addition” does not clearly signal the relationship between the points that follow. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph comparing the figures across the years; use references and transitions that make the comparisons explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “share,” “increased significantly,” “dropped,” and “contributed.” This gives the reader a general sense of the trends. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “smallest share of number,” “rose up dramatically up to,” and “gave us the highest number.” Repetition of “population” and “city” also makes the description less precise. Spelling errors, including “tabels,” “comared,” and “incrreased,” are noticeable and can distract the reader. Use standard data-reporting collocations such as “accounted for,” “stood at,” and “rose to,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to form connected sentences and use time references such as “in 1800,” “after ten decades,” and “in 2000.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and frequent errors affect clarity. For example, “the population showed the smallest share of number at 79000 approximately” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the population and its figure. In “the city manattan gave us the highest number as we comared,” the sentence structure does not clearly express the comparison. There are also problems with articles, punctuation, and sentence boundaries, including missing spaces after commas and inconsistent capitalisation of New York City. Practise accurate simple comparison sentences first, then add controlled clauses such as “while” or “whereas.”

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