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)

These table charts illustrate the total population of New York City in all five districts from 1800 to 2000. While on the other hand, the second and third chart shows the changes of population in Manhattan district and other four districts.

These tables show the overall population in New York City. Then they divided into five different districts. The population of this city is the highest in 2000. Moreover, the percentage of population of Manhattan was reduced but the percentage of other districts gradually increased.

In 1800, the total population of New York City is 79,216. However, mostly people lived in Manhattan about 76%. Also the least amount of people lived in other four districts about 24%. In 1900, the total population of this city is 3,437,202. Population held to be increased from recent year.

In this year the population of Manhattan will be decreased. Also the population of other four district will be increased and reached 1,587,109.In 2000, population gradually increased in this city. In Manhattan population will be reduced by the passage of time. However, In the other districts population will be increased sufficiently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad trends: New York’s total population rose, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other districts’ share increased. You also accurately report the 1800 total and the 1900 total, as well as the 1800 percentages and the other districts’ 1900 population. However, the account is only partly developed: it omits the 2000 figures, including the striking change in Manhattan’s population from 1,850,093 to 1,538,096 and the other districts’ rise to 6,471,089. The overview says the city was largest in 2000 but does not clearly compare the districts’ changing populations. Include the key figures for all three years and distinguish population totals from percentages to make the main features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, a general summary and a chronological account, so there is some organisation. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the second paragraph repeats the overview, and the final paragraph restates that Manhattan declined while the other districts increased without adding figures. Linking is also sometimes awkward or unclear, as in “While on the other hand,” and “Population held to be increased from recent year.” The year-by-year information would be easier to follow if each paragraph had a clear purpose—for example, an overview followed by a comparison of the three years—and if transitions such as “By 1900” and “By 2000” were used consistently. Clearer references would also help readers track which population or percentage is being discussed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “reduced,” and the main trends can generally be understood. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “table charts,” “least amount of people,” and “increased sufficiently.” Repeated use of “population” and “increased” also makes the description less precise. Choose terms that distinguish the number of residents from their share of the city total, and use standard collocations for describing data. For example, “the population of Manhattan will be decreased” is not an appropriate way to describe a past trend; “Manhattan’s population fell” is clearer and more concise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response mainly uses simple sentences and attempts some longer structures, but control is inconsistent. Tense shifts are especially noticeable: “the total population … is 79,216” and “the population … will be decreased” refer to historical data but use present or future forms. There are also agreement and sentence-structure problems, including “the second and third chart shows” and the fragment-like opening “While on the other hand.” Some sentences, such as “The population of this city is the highest in 2000,” remain understandable, but errors recur and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Use past tense consistently for the historical figures, check singular/plural agreement, and build complete sentences with a wider but controlled range of structures.

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