Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-16

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 New York city is a very wide and beautiful city .It has to much population .It have five districts. In 1800 the population is to much less because many people can go other countries and many of them are died . So ,the people are very afraid of flood issues .Every year floods are coming in this city and peoples are died in this with all our family. Many years ago the population can be increase in 1900s.3,437,202 population becomes too much increase in this time .The government of this city can take stand and do for our city by making rules and regulations for every person specially for those who can migrate from other countries .And the reason of flood every year peoples survive this the government can take action about it and save the life and homes. And 2000 year the population is increase at a very high speed because government of New York can deal all the problems and finding the solutions . So , the population is near 8,009,185 in a one year difference it increases with very high ability. In 1800 year the district of New York city Manhattan population is 60,515 it becomes 76% of all over the population. It is a big district with large population. In 1900 Manhattan have 1,850,093 population and it becomes the 54% of all over the population. In 2000 year 1,538,096 population is to much increase at a level as the comparison of past few years and it becomes 19% of all over the population. Other districts of New York city like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Islands. The population and overall percentage of these four districts are same every year. In 1800 the population of these districts are 18,701 and it becomes 24% of all over the population of this city. Upcoming years the population can be raise and go 1,587,109 population and it becomes 46% of all over the population of New York city. And the last 2000 these districts population are around 6,471,089 and it becomes 81% in all over the population. In this year the population of these four districts are to much increase as compare to Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0

The response fails to meet the requirements of an Academic Task 1 report. Instead of objectively summarizing the data, you have included irrelevant personal commentary about floods, government regulations, and migration, which are not present in the provided tables. While you mention some figures, the analysis is inaccurate and lacks a clear overview of the trends. You have not effectively selected the main features or made relevant comparisons between the districts. To improve, focus strictly on the data provided, avoid adding external information, and ensure you present a clear summary of the trends over the 200-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks logical organization. The text is presented as a single block without paragraphing, which makes it difficult to follow. There is no clear progression of ideas; the transition between discussing the total population and the individual districts is abrupt. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly (e.g., 'So', 'And'), leading to a repetitive and disjointed flow. To improve, use clear paragraphing to separate the introduction, the overview, and the detailed body paragraphs. Use a variety of linking words to connect your sentences logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic phrases like 'too much' and 'increase' without variation. There are significant errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'many of them are died' instead of 'many of them died' and 'population can be raise' instead of 'population rose'. The language used is informal and not suitable for an academic report. To improve, focus on learning vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', 'remained stable', and 'accounted for', and ensure you use them in the correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are consistent issues with verb tense (e.g., 'population is to much less' instead of 'was much lower'), subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'It have five districts'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or run-on, and the use of articles and prepositions is often incorrect. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, correct verb tenses for historical data, and proper punctuation.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.