Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14
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 tables compare the population of new york city and show how the distribution of residents between manhattan and the other four districts changs in the year 1800;1900 and 2000 overall,new york city experienced remarkable population growth over the two centuries while mahattan contained the majority of the city population in the early its share decined significantly by 2000'as the other four districts became home the most city in 1800 new york city had a total population of only 79,216 live in manhattan accounting for 76%of the tital population while the reamaining 18,701 residents 24%in brooklyn in bronx queens and statan island by 1900, the city population of only had increased dramaticaly to 3,437,202 mah
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response attempts to summarize the tables regarding the population of New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000, identifying some broad trends such as overall growth and Manhattan's declining share. However, the text breaks off abruptly mid-word ('mah') and falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 115 words. Because the text is incomplete, key data points for all districts across the decades cannot be fully presented, resulting in an underdeveloped overview. Based on the limited production and incomplete delivery of the task, it meets the criteria for Band 4.5, rounded to a band score of 4.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The response attempts an overall introduction and some grouping of data, but the lack of proper punctuation, run-on structures, and the sudden truncation of the text severely disrupt the overall coherence and logical progression. Paragraphing is faulty, with the entire partial response crammed into erratic blocks of text. Cohesive devices are minimal or misused, such as the awkward punctuation in '1800;1900 and 2000' and missing conjunctions. Because the response is unfinished and lacks controlled organizational structure, it aligns best with Band 4.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The student attempts some task-specific vocabulary such as 'population', 'distribution', 'residents', and 'districts'. However, there are numerous lexical errors, word-form issues ('changs' instead of 'change', 'decined' instead of 'declined', 'statan' instead of 'Staten'), and incorrect collocations ('home the most city'). The vocabulary range is basic and repetitive, and spelling mistakes are frequent enough to occasionally cause strain for the reader. These features reflect the characteristics of Band 4.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
Grammatically, the response displays a very limited range of structures. Most sentences lack proper punctuation and capitalization (e.g., 'new york city', 'manhattan'). There are serious errors in basic clause structures and prepositional phrases, such as '79,216 live in manhattan' and '24%in brooklyn in bronx queens and statan island'. Complex structures are attempted incorrectly, and the text ends mid-sentence. Due to the high frequency of grammatical and punctuation errors that impede clear communication, the grammar is indicative of Band 4.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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