Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02

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 provided the information in 1800 to 2000 how changed occur in total population of New York city. and second table illusrated how much increase in population of Manhattan city. and third table show the four districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island poplution modfication.

Overall, look at the first table which show the information how much population incresed year by year of five districts of the New York city , and second table displayed the data of districts of Manhattan population in 1800 to 2000. and third table demonstrated detail of population in other districts of city.

In 1800 the population of New York city was 70,216 well in 1900 added to 3,437,202 and in 2000 rise the population almost 8,009,185. Therefore Manhattan population accounted 76% in 1800 or 54% in 1900 which was 1,8500,93 total population plus but in 2000 the population decresed almost 19% which affect the majority of population.

However the other four districts of city in 1800 accounted 24% decrement in 2000 the total incremented 81%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad subject and report several relevant figures, including the city’s growth to 8,009,185 and Manhattan’s changing share. However, the response only partially summarises the tables: there is no clear overview of the main pattern, such as the city’s strong overall growth alongside Manhattan’s declining population after 1900 and the other districts’ rise. The 1800 total is misreported as 70,216 rather than 79,216, and the 1900 Manhattan figure is written unclearly as “1,8500,93.” The final comparison gives percentages but omits the other districts’ population figures and the 1900 share. Select the key trends accurately and explain how the figures compare across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an attempt at paragraphing, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to figures. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the first two paragraphs repeat the table descriptions rather than presenting a clear summary. Linking words such as “Overall,” “Therefore,” and “However” are used, but the relationships they signal are sometimes unclear; for example, “Therefore” does not clearly connect the Manhattan figures to the preceding point. The final paragraph also ends abruptly after the 2000 percentage. Organise the response around the main trends—overall city growth, then Manhattan versus the other districts—and use comparisons to connect the data rather than repeating table labels.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “accounted,” “incremented,” and “decreased,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear, such as “how changed occur,” “population modification,” and “the total incremented 81%.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “illusrated,” “poplution,” “modfication,” and “incresed.” These errors sometimes make the reader work to understand the intended meaning. Build a reliable set of terms for describing trends and proportions, such as “rose,” “declined,” “accounted for,” and “share,” and check spelling and natural word combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts longer sentences and uses time references, but the range of sentence structures is limited and errors are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to interpret. For example, “The first table provided the information in 1800 to 2000 how changed occur” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “in 2000 rise the population” has an incorrect verb form and word order. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, particularly in the long sentence beginning “Therefore Manhattan population…”. Practise forming clear subject–verb sentences in the past tense, and use a small number of accurate comparison structures, such as “The population rose from X to Y” and “Manhattan’s share fell from X% to Y%.”

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