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 three tables illustrates the total record of chaging population in five districts of New York city which is Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.

Overall, the combained population of all five areas were skyrocketed by the ninetenth century and buled in the next hundread years. Manhattan used to be the most crouded place and by 2000 the place were taken by the otherv districts.

In 1800 the total population in all five areas were 79,216 with more then 60 thousand in Manhattan city onlu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the broad rise in New York’s population and the shift from Manhattan’s dominance to the other districts, both relevant features. It also gives the correct 1800 total and notes that Manhattan had more than 60,000 residents. However, the report is incomplete: it stops before describing the 1900 and 2000 figures, and does not explain that the city’s population rose to 8,009,185 by 2000 while Manhattan’s share fell to 19%. The overview’s claim that growth “bul[e]d” is unclear and does not accurately summarise the continued increase. The response is also well below the required 150 words, leaving the task only minimally addressed. Include a complete overview and compare the key figures across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview and then a detail about 1800. This gives the reader some sense of the intended structure. However, the response ends abruptly after “more then 60 thousand in Manhattan city onlu,” so there is no progression through the remaining years or a concluding comparison. Connections between ideas are limited, and “Overall” is the only clear signpost. The overview’s second sentence is also difficult to follow because “the place were taken by the otherv districts” does not clearly state what changed. Develop the body in a logical sequence—such as 1800, 1900, then 2000—and use clear references and linking phrases to show the comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “total,” and “most crowded,” and attempts to describe change with “skyrocketed.” However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the meaning difficult to follow: “chaging,” “combained,” “ninetenth,” “buled,” and “otherv.” “The total record of changing population” is also an unnatural phrase for describing table data, while “Manhattan city” is imprecise. Choose accurate, conventional language for trends and proportions, such as “the population increased substantially” and “Manhattan accounted for 76%.” Proofreading spelling and selecting more precise collocations would make the report clearer and more appropriate to an academic summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few sentence forms, including an overview with two linked clauses, but control of basic grammar is inconsistent. In “The three tables illustrates,” the plural subject requires “illustrate”; “the combined population … were” also has a subject–verb agreement error. The phrase “Manhattan used to be the most crowded place and by 2000 the place were taken” has faulty agreement and an unclear passive construction. The final sentence is incomplete, ending with “onlu” without a finished comparison or punctuation. Most sentences follow simple patterns, so there is little evidence of a wider range. Build complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, check singular/plural agreement, and use straightforward comparative structures such as “By 2000, the other districts had become more populous than Manhattan.”

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