Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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 table depicts changes in the total population of New York city ruing the 1800 to 2000. There are five New York cities like Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.
Overall, The eighteen hundred to two thousand years and all five districts' populations. First population is low second medium and third one is very large population then include the percentage of total population.
The first one is Manhattan in 1800 is population is 60,515 and as a percentage of total population is 76%, so that a hight population. and low population in 2000 is low as percentage is 19% of total population.
Whereas other districts cities in 1800 population as percentage of 24% is low and hight in 2000
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
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 the student attempts to identify the topic, the summary of the data is incomplete and lacks a clear overview of the main trends. The description of the data is fragmented, and the comparison between the districts is underdeveloped. The response does not accurately report the main features of the tables, such as the overall population growth or the shifting proportions of the districts over the two-century period. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The response lacks a logical structure. Paragraphing is present but does not serve to organize information effectively. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas, making the text feel like a series of disjointed sentences rather than a coherent report. The progression of ideas is unclear, and the referencing of the data is confusing, particularly in the second paragraph where the attempt to summarize the trends is disjointed and difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. Basic errors in word choice, such as 'ruing' instead of 'during' and 'hight' instead of 'high', impede clarity. The student struggles to use appropriate terminology for describing statistical data, relying on simple descriptors like 'low', 'medium', and 'very large'. There is no attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary related to trends or data analysis, which is necessary for an Academic Task 1 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting mostly of simple, error-prone sentences. There are frequent errors in basic sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and word order (e.g., 'The first one is Manhattan in 1800 is population is 60,515'). Punctuation is also inconsistent. The lack of complex structures and the high frequency of errors make the text difficult to read and understand, which significantly affects the overall quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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