Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-28

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 table graph gives the information about the proportion of the population change of new york city and the population of five different districts of the city ( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island) between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the population of new york city is rapidly increased throughout the period where, in 1800, the population was at 79,216 from where, Manhataan had roughly 76% and the remaining at around 24% from other four districts which is 60,515 and 18,701.

Similarly, the population of new york city dramatically climbed up by 3,437,202 by 1900 in which 1,850,093 was from Manhattan which dipped to 54% where, 1,587,109 was from the remaining districts which steeply went up at 46% of the population in the city likewise, By 2000 the population of new york city gradually boomed to 8,009,185. In contrast, 19% of the population which is around 1,538,096 was from Manhattan and the population of other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queems,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the key shift in its distribution: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share grows. Several figures are reported accurately, including the 1800 and 1900 totals and Manhattan’s 2000 population. However, the response is incomplete: it ends mid-sentence after “Queens,” so the 2000 figure and comparison for the other districts are not fully reported. The overview is also limited, and some descriptions such as “gradually boomed” do not clearly distinguish the scale of change. The response is 148 words, below the required 150; this contributes to its partial coverage. Complete the final comparison and state the main population-distribution shift clearly in the overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure, with an opening, an overview paragraph and a chronological discussion of 1800, 1900 and 2000. This gives the reader some sense of how the data develops. However, progression is weakened by long, overloaded sentences that combine totals, district populations and percentages, often joined with repeated “where” and “which.” For example, the 1900 sentence contains several separate comparisons without clear boundaries. The final sentence is unfinished, which disrupts the ending and leaves the last comparison unresolved. Use one paragraph for the overview and separate, clearly focused sentences for the earlier and later data; use linking words only where they clarify the relationship between figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “proportion,” “dipped” and “climbed,” and the main topic remains understandable. There is also an attempt to vary the language rather than repeat “increased.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a table report: “table graph,” “population of the population change,” and “gradually boomed” do not express the data clearly. “Steeply went up” is also an awkward collocation, while inconsistent spelling and capitalisation of place names reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, neutral reporting verbs and phrases, such as “rose,” “accounted for,” and “the remaining districts,” rather than dramatic or conversational wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences and use some subordinate clauses, but complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the response difficult to follow. For instance, “the population … is rapidly increased” has an incorrect verb form, and “from where, Manhattan had roughly 76%” is not a well-formed clause. The 1900 sentence also has unclear clause boundaries and punctuation, while the final sentence is incomplete. These problems obscure how the figures relate to one another. Practise building shorter, complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then add one comparison at a time. Check tense consistency and punctuation when joining clauses.

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