Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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 tables illustrate changes in the population of New York City from 1800 to 2000.

overall, there are five districts to changes in population of New York City. sence 1800 year ago, Manhattan has huge population compare to other districts.

It can see the population is grow since 1800 year with 79216 population to 2000 year with [redacted phone] population. Manhattan has largest population by 60515 in 1800 years ago persentage made by 76. in 1900 year ago there are [redacted phone] people live percentage made by 54. than suddenly pupolation is fall by 19 percentage remaining.

The other dristricts is growing by population it can see in 1800 year ago the population is 24 persentage by 18701 people liv

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and note Manhattan’s declining share, which are relevant features. However, the report is incomplete: it gives no account of the 2000 population of the other districts or their increase to 81% of the total, and the final sentence is cut off. The statement that Manhattan’s population “suddenly” fell by 19% is inaccurate: 19% is its share of the city’s population in 2000, not the amount by which its population fell. The response also contains only 109 words, below the required 150, so several comparisons and key figures are missing. Develop a clear overview and report the main changes across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to move from an introduction to an overview and then to details, and the response follows the broad time sequence from 1800 to 2000. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview is unclear (“there are five districts to changes in population”) and the final point ends mid-sentence. Connections between figures are often missing, so the reader must infer how the population and percentages relate. The repeated “It can see” and “in 1800 year ago” also make the linking mechanical. Use separate, complete paragraphs for the overview and comparisons, and connect each figure explicitly to its year and population group.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “population,” “districts,” “percentage,” and “largest,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, vocabulary is basic and repetitive, and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts harder to understand: “sence,” “pupolation,” “dristricts,” and “persentage.” Phrases such as “huge population compare to” and “population is grow” are not natural ways to describe table data. Choose precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “rose,” “declined,” and “share,” and check spelling carefully. A wider range of accurate terms would help distinguish changes in population totals from changes in each district’s proportion of the city.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt simple statements and some longer constructions, but grammatical control is weak and errors frequently affect clarity. For example, “the population is grow” has an incorrect verb form, while “Manhattan has largest population by 60515” lacks an article and uses an unclear sentence pattern. “In 1900 year ago there are … people live” also has problems with tense, word order, and sentence construction. The response relies heavily on fragments and repeated simple patterns, with little accurate variety. Practise complete sentences using past-tense reporting verbs, for example, “Manhattan’s population rose to … in 1900,” and use accurate comparisons such as “its share fell to 19% by 2000.”

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