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 given tables depicts variation in population of New York and its' five states from 1800 to 2000.

The first table describes New York overall Population of its' five districts in late 2000. Number of people start increasing from 1800 to 2000. In 1900 population increases from 79,216 to 3,437,202. There is a significantly increase in crowd of folks in 2000 as compared to 1900.

Manhatton population drops down over the period. At beginneing its' population is 76% then it goes to 19% at end. Last table shows the combined record of peeps in the given period. There is a drametic change in their poulation by the passage of time. The percentage of folks increases from 24% to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the changing shares of Manhattan and the other districts, so the response is relevant to the tables. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly compare the overall population at all three dates or highlight that Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 before falling by 2000, while the other districts grew substantially. The statement that Manhattan’s population “drops down over the period” overlooks its increase from 60,515 to 1,850,093 before the later decline. Some figures are reported, but the 2000 totals are not given, and the response is 31 words below the required minimum. Include a concise overview and accurate comparisons supported by key figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence: it first discusses the city total, then Manhattan, and finally the other districts. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is grouped. However, progression is limited, and the paragraphs do not develop a clear comparison across the three dates. Phrases such as “The first table” and “Last table” are vague references, while “There is a drametic change” does not specify which figures or years are being compared. The short paragraphs also leave important relationships unexplained. Organise the report into an overview followed by focused comparisons, and use clear links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to connect the trends.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main topic, with relevant terms such as “population,” “percentage,” and “period.” However, the range is limited and several choices are informal or inaccurate for an academic report: “folks” and “peeps” are unsuitable, while “crowd” does not precisely describe population figures. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “Manhatton,” “beginneing,” “drametic,” and “poulation,” which reduce precision. Aim for neutral, data-focused language such as “residents,” “share,” “increased,” and “declined.” Repeating “population” is understandable, but you could vary it carefully with “number of residents” or “total.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly simple sentence patterns, and the basic meaning is generally understandable. There are, however, recurring errors in agreement, articles, possessives, and sentence construction. For example, “The given tables depicts” should use a plural verb, and “its’ five states” has an incorrect possessive form and mislabels the districts. “At beginneing its’ population is 76%” is also grammatically incomplete and confuses a population share with a population total. The sentence “There is a significantly increase” uses the wrong form after the article. Use straightforward, accurate structures first—for example, “The tables show…” and “Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19%”—then add a few well-controlled comparisons.

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