Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-15
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 4.5)
The following first table demonstrate changes occur in the total population of New York city from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables illustrate changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) in the same period of time.
overall, it can be obseved that population of New York city dramatically increased through out the period. In addition, Manhattan district recorded significant population increased, however, the other four districts
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is severely under-length, containing only 78 words compared to the required 150 words. Because it cuts off abruptly mid-sentence ("...however, the other four districts"), it fails to address the task fully or present a complete overview and comparison of the data provided. While the introduction attempts to paraphrase the prompt, the lack of completion and absence of specific data points from the tables mean that key features cannot be adequately reported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5
The text begins with a standard introductory frame and attempts an overview ('overall, it can be obseved...'). However, because the text stops abruptly after just a few lines, cohesive devices are minimal, and paragraphing is incomplete. There is no clear progression of ideas because the body of the response is missing entirely.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a basic working vocabulary with attempts at appropriate academic terms such as 'demonstrate', 'illustrate', and 'dramatically increased'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('obseved', 'through out') and word-form errors ('population increased' instead of 'population increase'). The limited output prevents a full assessment of a wider lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The student attempts a complex structure in the opening sentence ('The following first table demonstrate changes occur...'), but it contains grammatical errors (such as 'demonstrate' instead of 'demonstrates' and 'occur' instead of 'occurring'). Capitalisation is also inconsistent ('New York city'). Due to the extreme brevity of the text, the range of grammatical structures is very limited.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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