Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17
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 tables provide information on the changes int the total population of New york City in five different districts which include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island between 1800 to 2000.
In the New York City with all five district population rose significantly over the period. In 1800, the total population was 79,216 and in 1900 it increased with more that 34 million furthermore by 2000 the population rose sharply with more than 80 million.
In 1800, Manhattan had 76% of the total population with 60,515. In 1900, it increase with 54% of the total population making it the highest population. By 2000, 19% of the population increased with more than 15 million of the total.
In other districts such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island overall there was growth in population. In 1800, the overall population was 18,701 with only 24% of total population which further improved with 46% in 1900 with more than 15 million of the total population. By 2000, the population increased with more than 64 million with 81% of the total population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The student attempts to address the task by summarizing population data for New York City across different districts from 1800 to 2000. However, there are significant factual and mathematical errors in reporting the data. For example, the student writes that in 1900 the population increased 'with more that 34 million' (actual figure is 3,437,202) and for 2000 'more than 80 million' (actual figure is 8,009,185). These misreadings of place values distort the actual statistics provided in the tables. Furthermore, in the final paragraph, the student repeats Manhattan in the description of other districts. While the main trends are identified, the severe data inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a standard structure for an Academic Task 1 report with an introduction and body paragraphs. However, logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and confusing categorization, such as listing Manhattan again inside the paragraph dedicated to 'other districts'. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes incorrectly (e.g., 'furthermore', 'in 1900 it increase with 54%'). Paragraphing is attempted, but overall cohesion is disrupted by faulty referencing and lack of clear progression between ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.5
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, heavily relying on words like 'population', 'increased', 'total', and 'districts'. There are severe lexical and mathematical expression errors, such as confusing thousands with millions (e.g., stating a population of 8 million is 'more than 80 million'). Word formation and collocations are often inaccurate, such as 'it increase with 54%' instead of 'it accounted for 54%' or 'it represented 54%'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for conveying basic facts, but the errors impede clear communication of the data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The response contains a mix of simple and attempted complex sentences, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in tense consistency, prepositions, and verb forms. For instance, the student writes 'changes int the total population' (typo), 'it increase with' (tense and preposition error), and 'the population rose sharply with more than 80 million' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally basic. While the meaning of some sentences can be understood, errors are frequent and cause noticeable difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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