Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

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 illustrates the proportions of changes in the total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000. The second and third describe changes in population of five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Overall, population was the most prevalant type of connecion in all cities. year changes with population and tell us about total percentage. it is start from 1800 to end at 2000.

looking at the table more closely, the population is change with year like in 1800, population is 79,216. furthermore in 1900 the population is 3,437,202. At the last, population growth is very than other like in 2000 the population is 8,009,185.

turning into another chart there is information about percentage with different countries. First of all, Manhattan has

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the overall rise in New York City’s population and accurately reports the three total figures, so it includes some relevant information. However, it does not provide a clear, accurate overview of the district data: the statement that population was the “most prevalant type of connecion” is unclear and unrelated, and the district section stops after “Manhattan has,” without reporting any figures or comparisons. The introduction also says there are five districts but names only four. The response is substantially incomplete and contains only 114 words, below the required 150; 17 words copied from the task prompt were excluded from that count. To improve, complete the district comparison and highlight the key shift from Manhattan’s majority share to the other districts’ 81% share by 2000.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response into an introduction, an overview and details, with transitions such as “Overall,” “looking at the table more closely,” and “turning into another chart.” These signals show an effort to guide the reader. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview is unclear, the discussion of the second table is abruptly unfinished, and the response ends mid-sentence. Some linking phrases, including “At the last” and “First of all,” do not create clear relationships between the information. Use separate, complete paragraphs for the overview, total population, and district comparison, and connect each figure to a clear comparison or trend.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a few relevant terms, including “total population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “population growth,” and the main total figures are understandable. However, vocabulary is limited and several word choices or spellings make the meaning unclear: “proportions of changes” does not accurately describe the tables, while “prevalant” and “connecion” are misspelled, and “population growth is very than other” is not an intelligible comparison. “Different countries” is also inaccurate because the data concern districts. Choose precise terms for trends and shares, and check spelling and collocations. For example, describe the figures as population totals and proportions, and say that the population “rose substantially” rather than using the unclear phrase above.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, and some basic statements, such as “in 1800, population is 79,216,” communicate the intended figure. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. Examples include “the population is change with year,” “it is start from 1800,” and “the population is 8,009,185,” where tense or verb construction is faulty for describing historical data. The sentence “The second and third describe changes…” also lacks a clear grammatical subject. Use past-tense forms consistently (“was,” “rose,” “accounted for”) and build complete sentences with an explicit subject and verb. More accurate sentence patterns would make the comparisons easier to understand.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.