Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01

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)

New York City is one of the main state of USA and it,s known as too much expensive city of the world.This luxurious state have also further five districts whose name is "MANHATTON,BROOKLYN, BRONX,QUEENS,STATEN ISLAND".

In the early 18th century,the population of the New York City included it,s five districts Population is around 79,216.But with the passage of time,there is a certain increase in the population till end of the 18th century.

In 1900,there is rapid increase in population and it,s growth is around 3,437,202.

And after that, there is massive increase in population with the passage of time and starting 20th century, the entire population of this city is around 8,009,185.

In conclusions, where we saw that there is a massive change and grow in population community with the passage of time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, standing at only 133 words. Additionally, the content only partially addresses the task. While the student attempts to report the overall population figures from the first table (such as mentioning 79,216 in 1800, 3,437,202 in 1900, and 8,009,185 in 2000), they fail to properly select and report the main features of the second and third tables regarding the five districts (Manhattan and the other districts). The historical dates are also confused, referring to the 1800s as the 'early 18th century'. Ideas are limited and under-developed, and the overview is weak, resting on a brief, repetitive conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response exhibits some basic organization with time markers like 'In the early 18th century', 'In 1900', and 'And after that', but overall progression is lacking. The text is broken into short, fragmented paragraphs and single sentences rather than a cohesive report. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and repetitively, such as the constant reliance on 'there is' and 'with the passage of time'. Referencing is also weak, making it difficult to follow the logical development of ideas across the tables.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple terms like 'population', 'city', and 'increase'. There are noticeable lexical errors, such as misspelling 'Manhattan' as 'MANHATTON', using 'state' instead of 'city', and employing unnatural phrasing like 'too much expensive city of the world'. Other vocabulary choices, such as 'population community', are inappropriate and strain the reader, reflecting a limited range that only minimally covers the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and repetitive 'there is' constructions. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including awkward spacing around commas, subject-verb agreement issues ('This luxurious state have'), and tense confusion ('starting 20th century'). Complex structures are rarely attempted, and punctuation errors such as comma splices are frequent, causing occasional difficulty for the reader.

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