Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-12

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)

The diagrams changes in the population of new York and Manhattan Brooklyn Bronx queens Staten island

Overall New York more than large population on 2000 in others due to the most city in world ,in contrast Manhattan than less population in others city reason why the Manhattan is the dangerest city in world

in 1800. Brooklyn ,Bronx ,Queens ,Staten island are small city

in 1900.in New York city lived 3,437,202 ,whereas, in Manhattan lived 1,850,093 and in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island lived 1,581,109

There are same almost in 1900. but overall New York living 81% of total population in American

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 score. Furthermore, the content is underdeveloped and lacks a clear summary of the main features. The student attempts to describe the data but provides inaccurate interpretations, such as claiming Manhattan was the 'dangerest city' in 1800, which is not supported by the provided tables. The overview is confusing and fails to highlight the key trends in population growth across the different districts over the two-century period. To improve, the student must ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed with accurate data reporting and a clear, logical summary of the overall trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks a logical structure. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the ideas within the paragraphs are disjointed and difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used incorrectly or are absent, making the progression of information unclear. For example, the transition 'in contrast' is used inappropriately, and the connection between the sentences is weak. The lack of clear linking words and the fragmented nature of the sentences hinder the flow of the report. To achieve a higher score, the student should focus on using paragraphing effectively and employing a wider range of cohesive devices to link ideas logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms and struggles with word choice, such as using 'dangerest' (a non-standard form) and 'more than large population'. There is a lack of academic vocabulary suitable for describing data, such as 'fluctuated', 'increased significantly', or 'accounted for'. The spelling and grammatical errors in word usage, such as 'American' instead of 'America', further detract from the quality of the writing. To improve, the student should expand their range of vocabulary to include precise terms for describing trends and statistics.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are issues with sentence structure, such as missing verbs and incorrect punctuation. For instance, 'The diagrams changes in the population' is grammatically incorrect, and the use of commas and periods is inconsistent. The student relies on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty or unclear. There is a lack of control over basic grammar, including subject-verb agreement and article usage. To improve, the student needs to focus on sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy.

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