Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03

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)

This table demonstrating the changes from 1800 to 2000 of New York City including its districts. Its showing the details of population changes of each century in the form of percentages.

The first table rendering the overall changes of all the five districts where more changes recorded after year 2000 and least changes captured between 1800 to 1900. However, the second table showing the record of Manhattan district from the same period with the more changes with 76% recorded from year 1800 to 1900 and less changes with 19% recorded in this district after 2000. The third table rendering the details of remaining four districts which are Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Stalen Island. In these districts, the population raised more rapidly after 2000 with 81% and least population increased from 1800 to 1900.

In summary, all three tables demonstrating the rise and fall of population of last 3 centuries of 5 districts of New York City which is the largest city of the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to accurately interpret the provided data. The student misidentifies the nature of the tables, describing them as showing 'percentages' of population change, whereas the data clearly represents population figures in millions. Furthermore, the summary of the trends is inaccurate; for instance, claiming that the population of the four districts 'raised more rapidly after 2000' contradicts the provided data which shows a decline or stagnation in certain periods. The response lacks a clear overview of the main features and fails to make meaningful comparisons between the districts. The information provided is largely incorrect based on the ground truth of the tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into short paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and often misused, such as the repetitive use of 'The first table rendering' and 'The third table rendering'. The referencing is unclear, and the transition between ideas is disjointed. While there is an attempt at an introduction and a summary, the internal structure of the body paragraphs does not effectively organize the data, making it difficult for the reader to follow the intended comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic verbs like 'rendering', 'showing', and 'recorded'. There are significant issues with word choice, such as using 'raised' instead of 'rose' or 'increased', and 'least changes' instead of 'the smallest changes'. The misuse of terminology regarding the data (e.g., 'percentages' instead of 'millions') indicates a lack of precision. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information accurately or to demonstrate any flexibility in expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede clarity. Many sentences are fragments or lack main verbs, such as 'This table demonstrating the changes...' and 'Its showing the details...'. There are consistent errors in verb tense and subject-verb agreement, such as 'population raised' and 'all three tables demonstrating'. Complex sentence structures are attempted but are consistently inaccurate, leading to confusion. The control over basic grammar is weak, and the errors are pervasive throughout the text.

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