Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-05

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)

at first, all of the tables show the population of all five districts are increasing recently year by year. especially, the difference between 1800's and 1900's population is so big and obvious. this is the main feature that we can pick up-from each tables. but, how about as percentage of total population in Manhattan.

it is the biggest city in New York you know. but the population of Manhattan is decreasing now a days. It causes especially 1900's to 2000's.

But it means other districts population is increasing. It is showed by table 3. As percentage of total population has drastically changed in 100 years at 1800's to 1900's. it is not good because many people move to country side from

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully address the task. While you attempt to identify some trends, the analysis is superficial and lacks a clear overview or a systematic comparison of the data provided in the tables. You mention that the population is increasing, but you do not provide specific data points or meaningful comparisons between the districts. Furthermore, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. To improve, you must ensure you cover all parts of the prompt, provide a clear summary of the main features, and support your points with accurate data from the tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks a logical structure and clear paragraphing. The ideas are presented in a fragmented manner, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of information. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas effectively; for instance, the transition between discussing the total population and the percentage in Manhattan is abrupt. The use of informal language, such as 'you know', is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. To improve, you should organise your report into a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group related data logically, using a variety of linking words to connect your points.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'big', 'increasing', and 'decreasing'. There is a lack of precision in describing statistical trends, and some word choices are unnatural or incorrect, such as 'recently year by year' or 'it is showed by table 3'. The vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with the necessary academic tone. To improve, you should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary for describing data, such as 'significant growth', 'a downward trend', 'proportion', and 'fluctuation', and avoid conversational fillers.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'tables show the population... are increasing'), incorrect tense usage, and awkward sentence structures. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with errors in capitalization and the use of apostrophes (e.g., '1800's'). The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, you need to focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses and subject-verb agreement. Practising the use of complex sentences, such as using relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, will also help improve your score.

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