Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-24

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)

As we can see the data shows that , the population is gradually increasing over the years of the five selected districts. In year 1800 the population was marked as 79,216 which significantly had a rise in the year 1900 to 3,437,202 and finally in 2000 it became 8,009,185. the second table shows the details about the city manhattan where the population is 76% in the year 1800 of the total population which is 54% in the year 1900 and 19% in year 2000

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the overall rise in New York City’s population and accurately reports the total figures for 1800, 1900 and 2000. It also notes Manhattan’s declining share, with the percentages matching the table. However, the summary is very incomplete: it gives no figures for the other districts, omits Manhattan’s population counts, and does not highlight the key contrast that Manhattan’s population fell after 1900 while the other districts grew substantially. The required minimum of 150 words is not met, leaving too little space to select and compare the main features. Develop an overview and include the most important comparisons rather than reporting only a few figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The information follows a basic sequence, moving from the citywide totals to Manhattan’s percentages, and the reader can identify the two topics being discussed. However, the response is a single, compressed paragraph with no clear overview or developed comparison, so progression is limited. The opening phrase, “As we can see,” adds little, while the transition “the second table shows” is a mechanical way to introduce the next point. The sentence joining the three total-population figures is also crowded. Organise the response into a brief introduction, an overview, and a paragraph comparing the district data; use clear links such as “By contrast” to show relationships between trends.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic trends, using relevant terms such as “population,” “total population,” and “increasing.” The phrase “significantly had a rise,” however, is an awkward collocation, and “it became 8,009,185” is imprecise when describing a population figure. The response also repeats “population” and relies on general wording rather than language that distinguishes a rise in the total from a fall in Manhattan’s share. More precise trend vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer. For example, describe the city’s population as having “increased sharply,” and say Manhattan’s proportion “declined” or “fell” over the period.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect several ideas in longer sentences, and the main figures remain understandable. However, sentence control is inconsistent. The opening has faulty punctuation and structure: “As we can see the data shows that ,” contains an unnecessary comma and an awkward introductory clause. In “the population is 76% in the year 1800 … which is 54%,” the relative clause does not clearly express the change between years. Capitalisation is also inconsistent, including “the” after a full stop and “manhattan.” Use complete, clearly separated sentences, maintain consistent past-tense reporting, and check punctuation and capital letters. A wider range of accurate sentence patterns would help express comparisons without overloading one sentence.

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