Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-01

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)

In first table there are three different year population chart, in year 1800 the population is 79216 but then to year 2000 it became [redacted phone] which is rapid increment to compare every city. After comes to manhattan in the year 1800 to 1900 the total percentage of population increase is 54% and in year 2000 it increase by [redacted phone] the increase in 19% total. then in table three of other 5 districts the year 1800 to 1900 the total percentage of population 24% to 46% as we come to year 2000 the population becomes [redacted phone] which is 81% of total five districts. Now we compare to all the newyork city has more rapid increase in population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad pattern that New York City’s population grew substantially and note the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts. However, key figures and trends are misreported: Manhattan’s 54% and 19% are its shares of the city total, not increases, and its population fell from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000. The city’s 1900 total is also omitted, so the scale of growth across all three dates is not fully shown. The response is under the required 150 words, which limits the detail and comparisons you can provide. Add a clear overview and accurately compare the totals and district shares across the three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a basic sequence, moving from the city-wide table to Manhattan and then the other districts, and phrases such as “After comes” and “Now we compare” signal transitions. However, the ideas are compressed into one paragraph, and the progression is difficult to follow because figures, percentages and interpretations are combined in long, loosely connected sentences. For example, the Manhattan sentence moves from 1800–1900 to the 2000 population without clearly distinguishing population from percentage share. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and details, and organise each comparison consistently by year or by district. Clearer linking and reference would make the information easier to understand.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “increase” and “districts,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are imprecise or repetitive, such as “rapid increment,” “the total percentage of population increase” and “the increase in 19% total.” These expressions make it harder to tell whether you mean a change in population or a share of the city total. “Chart” is also not the most accurate label for the tables. Aim for precise data-reporting language such as “population rose,” “accounted for” and “population share,” and avoid repeating “increase” when describing different measures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect several ideas in longer sentences, but the range of sentence structures is limited and errors are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “In first table there are three different year population chart” has problems with articles, number agreement and sentence structure. In “in the year 1800 to 1900 the total percentage … increase is 54%,” the tense and clause construction do not clearly express the comparison. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, particularly at sentence beginnings and around “then” and “as we come to year 2000.” Practise accurate simple comparison sentences first, then combine them with clauses using “while” or “whereas.”

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