Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28

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 illustrate the first table changes of total populatino of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second changes and third changes in table the total populatino of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island (five) districts of the city from 1800 to 200.

Overall, in the first table New York City have a 1800, 1900 and 2000 year has discover a population. The second table have a Manhattan city they percentage of total population and third table shows the othet districts as percentage of total population.

The New York City population was 79,216 population in 1800 year. In 1900 year the population was a 3,437,202. The 8,009,185 population was in 2000 this is a laege number of population in New York City.

The second and third table show the five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island). The Manhattan have a 60,515 population and total percentage was a 76% in 1800 year. The low percentage was in 2000 it is a 19% in Manhattan and population was 1,538,096. The Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island have a 6,471,089 population in 2000 and total 81% percentage of population, this is the hayest percentage of total population rayther then Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The candidate attempts to address the prompt by reporting figures from the tables, such as the total population of New York City in 1800, 1900, and 2000, as well as specific district data for Manhattan and the other combined districts. However, the response falls short of fully meeting the task requirements. The overview paragraphs are confused and repetitive, failing to clearly highlight the main trends, such as the massive overall population growth and the shifting proportion of inhabitants from Manhattan to the outer districts. Furthermore, there are inaccuracies in interpretation, and the expression of ideas lacks clarity. The response sits firmly at Band 4.0 because it responds to the task minimally and relies on disjointed reporting without adequate comparison or development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The essay is divided into short paragraphs, but overall progression and logical linking are weak. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or repetitively (e.g., 'The first table...', 'The second table...', 'The second and third table show...'). The referencing is often unclear, making it difficult to follow the relationships between the data points. There is a lack of smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs, resulting in a fragmented reading experience. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal organization of sentences within paragraphs lacks cohesion. This performance corresponds to a Band 4.0 due to the lack of clear overall progression and faulty cohesive relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic, repetitive, and heavily reliant on direct lifting or awkward phrasing from the prompt (e.g., 'total population', 'districts of the city', 'population was a'). There are frequent word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'has discover a population', 'hayest percentage', and 'rayther then'. Less common lexical items are either absent or used incorrectly. Spelling and word forms show frequent instability (e.g., 'populatino', 'laege', 'othet'). These limitations restrict the score to a Band 4.0, as the vocabulary is basic, repetitive, and frequently strains the reader's comprehension.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The grammatical structures attempted are very limited and simple. Most sentences contain noticeable errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and article usage (e.g., 'The table illustrate', 'New York City have a 1800... year has discover', 'The Manhattan have a'). Complex sentence structures are largely absent, and simple constructions frequently contain basic errors that impede clarity. Punctuation is also erratic. Because errors are frequent, systematic, and often cause difficulty for the reader, this performance aligns with the Band 4.0 descriptors.

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