Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-09

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 4.5)

The tables illustrate changes in the total population of New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000. Overall the total of the population dramatically over the period. However, the distribution of the population changed compeletly, Manhattan your important place are fellento the districts. In 1800,the total population had 79,216 .The Manhattan had been many people,60,515, the total population in 76%.In constrat.the other four districts was people collects in ,18,701, let the total pop

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and attempt an overview, noting that New York’s population increased and that Manhattan’s share declined. However, the overview is difficult to understand, and the response gives only the 1800 figures; it does not report the major changes in 1900 and 2000 or compare the districts across the period. The statement that Manhattan’s position “fellento the districts” is unclear, so the key shift towards the other districts is not effectively communicated. The response also ends mid-sentence and contains only 66 words, below the required 150. To improve, complete the summary and include the later figures: the city grew to 8,009,185 by 2000, while Manhattan’s share fell to 19% and the other districts’ rose to 81%.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overall statement and then a detail about 1800. The sequence from the general trend to a specific year is appropriate. However, the response stops partway through a sentence (“let the total pop”), so the information is incomplete and the progression cannot be sustained. Connections between ideas are also unclear: “However” introduces a contrast, but the following phrase is difficult to interpret, and “In constrat” does not clearly link the figures that follow. Use separate, complete paragraphs for the overview and key details, and connect comparisons explicitly—for example, contrast Manhattan’s declining share with the growth of the other districts.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a few relevant terms, including “total population,” “districts,” and “over the period,” showing some awareness of the task’s subject. However, vocabulary is very limited, and several inaccurate or misspelled expressions make the meaning difficult to follow. “Compeletly” is misspelled, while “your important place” and “people collects” do not express the intended population comparisons naturally. “In constrat” is also an inaccurate form. Build a small set of precise Task 1 expressions, such as “accounted for,” “population share,” “rose substantially,” and “declined,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting. These would help you describe the data clearly without relying on vague wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt a simple opening sentence and an overview, but the response shows very limited control of sentence structure. For example, “Overall the total of the population dramatically over the period” lacks a finite verb, and “the Manhattan had been many people” has an incorrect article and an unsuitable verb construction. The sentence beginning “In 1800” also combines figures without a clear grammatical relationship, while the final clause is unfinished. Most of the writing consists of fragments or incomplete constructions, so the reader has to infer the intended meaning. Practise complete subject–verb sentences, such as “The city’s population increased dramatically,” and use clear comparison patterns: “Manhattan accounted for 76% of the total in 1800.”

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