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 first table shows change in the total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000.

first of all in first table shows years and their populations and districts of new york.We can see in year 1800 citizens was only 79,216 in next 10 years

in 1900 the population numbers is incresed to 3,437,202 and in 2000 the numbers of people comes to 8,009,185

Now we cames to districts and their residents and percentage in second table here is only data of district manhattan in 1800 numbers of people lived here is 60,515 which is 76% of total population in 1900 the numbers of people goes up 1,850,093 that is 54% of total population and at last in year 2000 the numbers of native 1,538,096 which is 19% of total residents

in final list which are makes on four districts brooklyn,bronx,queens,staten islands numbers of their people ans its percentages

in 1800 18,701 peoples are lived with 25% of total populations in 1900 the numbers of citizen goes up to 1,587,109 which make 46% of total. in last year 2000 are populated 6,471,089 which is 81% of all residents

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You report the main figures for the city total, Manhattan, and the other districts, and you correctly identify the broad rise in population. However, the response mainly lists data rather than selecting and comparing the key trends. A clear overview is missing: for example, the city grew substantially overall, while Manhattan’s population share fell from 76% to 19% as the other districts’ share rose. There is also a factual inaccuracy: the other districts accounted for 24%, not 25%, in 1800. The statement that the population increased “in next 10 years” is misleading, since the next listed year is 1900. A concise overview and accurate comparisons would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a basic sequence, moving from the city total to Manhattan and then to the other districts, so the reader can identify the broad subject of each section. However, progression is mostly a series of data points rather than a clearly organised summary. The opening repeats the task, and transitions such as “first of all,” “Now we cames,” and “in final list” are either mechanical or unclear. Several long, loosely connected sentences make the relationships between figures harder to follow. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the detailed comparisons, and connect the data with clear contrasts such as “whereas” or “by comparison.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “percentage,” and “total,” which allows the reader to understand the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “numbers of native” for population, “peoples are lived,” and “final list.” Repeated use of “numbers,” “people,” and “goes up” also makes the report less precise. Spelling errors such as “incresed” and “cames,” along with inconsistent capitalisation of “New York City” and district names, reduce control. Aim for standard data-reporting expressions such as “the population stood at,” “accounted for,” and “rose to,” while checking spelling and proper nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to report several time points and use longer sentences, but the grammatical range is limited and errors occur frequently. Examples include “in first table shows,” “the numbers of people lived here is,” and “18,701 peoples are lived,” where sentence structure, verb forms, and agreement are faulty. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or misplaced, as in “in year 2000” and “in 1800 citizens was.” Punctuation is weak: many clauses run together without full stops or commas, making some sentences difficult to process. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses using “while” or “whereas.”

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