Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11

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 4.0)

Introduction: -

This tables shows that how much population of New York city from 1800 to 2000 is increased or decreased every year

of five districts of the city

Manhattan

Brooklyn

Bronx

Queens

Staten Island

Overview: -

overall m, the population is increased every year. However, this tables are showing how much population in increased during a period of time.

In table one , there are three years such as 1800, 1900, 2000 and they have different numbers of populations as shown in table in during a long period the population in increased. In year 1800, they have only 79,216. But in 1900 they have populations in numbers is 3,437,202. Between this long periods population is increased by [redacted phone] and during periods 1900 to 2000 population in increased by 4,571,983

In city Manhattan population is also increased or decreased during the period of time . There are difference between in year 1800 to 1900 is [redacted phone] and also during 1900 to 2000 is decreased by [redacted phone].

in other states such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island population is increased by 23 percentage and 41./. .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear or accurate summary of the data. While it identifies the general trend of population growth, the analysis is fragmented and lacks a cohesive comparison of the five districts. The student lists the districts in the introduction rather than integrating them into the body paragraphs. Furthermore, the data interpretation is inconsistent; for instance, the claim that population increased by 23% and 41% is not supported by the provided tables. The response lacks a clear overview of the main features, and the information provided is often confusing or inaccurate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The essay lacks a logical structure. The introduction is poorly formatted, and the body paragraphs are disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas, making the text difficult to follow. The use of headings like 'Introduction' and 'Overview' is inappropriate for an IELTS task. Paragraphing is present but does not serve to organize the information effectively, as the content within the paragraphs is repetitive and lacks clear progression. Referencing is often unclear, particularly when discussing the different districts.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'increased' and 'numbers' throughout the response. There is no attempt to use a range of vocabulary suitable for describing data trends, such as 'fluctuated,' 'peaked,' or 'significant growth.' Some phrasing is awkward, such as 'in city Manhattan' and 'in other states,' which indicates a lack of control over appropriate terminology for geographical or statistical descriptions. The errors in word choice occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. There are issues with article usage ('the population of New York city'), subject-verb agreement ('this tables are showing'), and sentence structure. The use of punctuation is also problematic, particularly with the inclusion of symbols like './.' and the misuse of commas. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences that are often poorly constructed. These persistent errors make the text difficult to read and understand.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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