Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given tables are shows the population changes in the different cities such as New york, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island on the same period.

The first table below shows changes in the total population of New york ciity from 1800 to 2000. New york city weight by the five districts population on the three differet years. In 1800 years population is 79,216 and gradually incresing the population in next years on 1900 to become the 3,437,202. On the finally years 2000 quickly grow in 2000 to become the 8,009,185. Second table decribe the another cities is Manhattan. this cities has been rappidly grow the population on three years in 1800 on the populaton is 60,515 on the percentage is 76%.

On the next years quickly grow the population 54% on the population is 1,850,093. However, this next years population has been decreases the number of population on 2000 becoe the population is 1,538,096. Third table decribe the other district populaton grows. These five cities has grow of the population in this years first years increase by the 24% and become the following the next years 46% increase the population. Finally last years higly amount of population increase on the four cities.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the overall subject and report several key figures, including the city’s rise from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000 and Manhattan’s population in each year. However, the response does not provide a clear overview of the main pattern: Manhattan’s share fell substantially, while the other four districts together became the majority by 2000. The final section mentions their percentages rising from 24% to 46%, but omits the 2000 figure of 81% and their population of 6,471,089. Some descriptions are also inaccurate or unclear: Manhattan did not grow continuously, since its population fell between 1900 and 2000. Select the main contrasts and summarise them accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a basic sequence, moving from the city total to Manhattan and then the other districts, and it uses a few linking expressions such as “However” and “Finally.” This gives the reader some sense of the tables being discussed. However, ideas are not arranged into clear, purposeful paragraphs, and the progression within sentences is often difficult to follow. Phrases such as “On the next years quickly grow the population” do not clearly connect the figures or explain what changed. References such as “this cities” and “these five cities” are also unclear. Organise the response into an introduction, a concise overview, and two comparison paragraphs, using clear links between years and groups.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “districts,” and “increase,” so the subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and several word choices or collocations make the meaning difficult to understand. For example, “New York city weight by the five districts population” does not express a clear relationship, while “highly amount of population increase” is unnatural. There are also frequent spelling and word-form problems, including “ciity,” “differet,” “incresing,” and “decribe.” Use precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “declined,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to report changes across several years and uses a few simple linking structures, but sentence forms are very limited and errors frequently obscure relationships between ideas. For example, “The given tables are shows” combines incompatible verb forms, and “this cities has been” has problems with agreement and sentence structure. Tense and clause construction are also unreliable in “On the finally years 2000 quickly grow in 2000.” Many statements lack a clear subject or a complete grammatical pattern. Practise accurate simple sentences first, such as “The population rose from X in 1800 to Y in 1900,” then combine them with controlled contrast clauses using “while” or “whereas.”

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