Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27

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 illustrate the total population of New York City and its five districts( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the total population of the New York City is a dramatical change between 1800 to 2000. In 1800 citizens that are lived in New York City is 79,216 and over 100 years the peoples are 3,437,202. In 2000 residents are are triple and it has 8,009,185.

Moreover the population of Manhattan in 1800 was 60,515 and it is 76% of the total citizens. In 1900 the population is 54% of the total individuals and in 2000 the population is 19% of the total peoples.

Furthermore

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the subject and report several accurate figures: the city total rises from 79,216 in 1800 to 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 in 2000, and Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%. However, the response covers the tables only partially. It does not report the population of the other four districts or their combined growth and rising share, which is a major feature, and the overview is vague: “a dramatical change” does not clearly summarise the contrasting trends. The claim that the 2000 population is “triple” is also inaccurate; it is more than double the 1900 figure. The response is 110 words, below the required 150, so the report is substantially incomplete. Include the other-district figures and a clear comparison in a fuller summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence: an introduction is followed by comments on the overall population and then Manhattan. Paragraphing and signposts such as “Overall” and “Moreover” show an attempt to organise the report. However, progression is limited because the final “Furthermore” is left unfinished, and the other-district data are never developed. The overview also mixes specific figures into a general statement, making the main trends harder to distinguish. Some linking is mechanical, with “Moreover” and “Furthermore” introducing points without completing a balanced comparison. Organise the response into a clear overview and focused detail paragraphs, and use links to show contrasts—for example, Manhattan’s declining share versus the other districts’ increasing share.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of basic population vocabulary, including “total population,” “residents,” “districts,” and “percentage,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a formal data report: “citizens” and “peoples” are not suitable substitutes for population, while “the total individuals” and “the total peoples” sound awkward. “Dramatical change” is also an incorrect word form and imprecise description. Repetition of “population” and “total” further limits flexibility. Use standard collocations such as “the city’s population,” “accounted for,” and “the proportion of residents,” and choose precise trend language such as “rose sharply” or “declined.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, and the figures are usually placed in understandable clauses. However, errors are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “citizens that are lived” has an incorrect relative clause and verb form; “the population of the New York City” uses an unnecessary article; and “In 2000 residents are are triple” contains repetition and faulty agreement/structure. Tense use also shifts between past and present when describing historical data (“was,” “is,” “has”). There is little accurate complex sentence control, and the unfinished “Furthermore” leaves the final structure incomplete. Practise consistent past-tense reporting and simple comparative patterns, such as “Manhattan’s population fell from … to …, while its share decreased ….”

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.