Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-27
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)
Three tables are given the first table total population of New York changes over the periode of 1800 to 2000. Second and third tables show the population of five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) changes over the same period
From the table it is clear that the Manhattan District has the greatest Pupolation changes as compair to the other district of New york, Manhattan is the main cause of the population outbreak in New york but it gradually shift to the other distric with the passage of time
In 1800 manhattan was one of the highest pupulated district containing 76% of the total population and at that time the other districts only contribute to 24% of the total population of NEwyork . In 1900 the diffenrence between Manhattan and Other district becaomes some how equally manhattan population decrease to 54% and other district rose to 46% but still Manhattan
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by introducing the tables and providing some information regarding population changes in Manhattan and other districts between 1800, 1900, and 2000. However, the response is incomplete, stopping abruptly mid-sentence ('...but still Manhattan'). Crucial overall population figures from the first table are omitted entirely, and the data presented lacks thorough development and clear synthesis. The attempt to outline percentages for 1800 and 1900 is visible, but the abrupt termination prevents a full overview or a complete discussion of the year 2000 data. Consequently, this performance aligns with a Band 5 due to partial coverage and incomplete delivery.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The response suffers severely in terms of cohesion and overall structure. It lacks proper paragraphing, with the text compressed into a few awkward blocks. There is an absence of cohesive devices to guide the reader smoothly through the data points. Furthermore, the text cuts off incomplete in the middle of the third paragraph, meaning there is no clear logical conclusion or overall progression. Referencing is weak, with vague phrases like 'the first table total population' causing confusion. Overall organisation is minimal, meriting a Band 4.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is basic, repetitive, and heavily flawed by spelling and word-choice errors. Examples include misspelled words like 'periode', 'Pupolation', 'compair', 'distric', 'pupulated', 'NEwyork', and 'becaomes'. Phrasing is often unnatural or awkward, such as 'population outbreak' instead of 'population growth' or 'population surge', and 'contribute to 24%' rather than 'accounted for'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary items, but persistent inaccuracies and limited lexical control restrict the score to a Band 4.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
Grammatical control is weak throughout the response. There are fundamental sentence-structure errors, such as run-on sentences and missing verbs ('Three tables are given the first table total population...'). Punctuation is largely neglected, and capitalisation rules are ignored in places like 'NEwyork' and 'manhattan'. Complex structures are attempted incorrectly, and simple sentences contain basic errors. The high frequency of grammatical mistakes and the unfinished nature of the writing result in a Band 4.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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