Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12
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)
Answer: The first table shows changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The continous growth in population is very effective and visibly difference in growth. In 1800 there is just 79,216 population.In next century population growth rate is very high. Then in 2000 population reached at 8,009,185. That is very effective increase.
In next table shows the changes in the population of Manhattan.Firstly 1800 population is 60,515 and percentage is 76%. In next century in 1900 population is 1,850,093 and rate is 54%. In 2000 rate is 19%. In the third table other districts has percentage of 24% in 1900 rate is 46% and the least is very high. This table shows the growth of population. How the rate changes in different centuries
Overall population is a continuous process. It increases in every time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and include some relevant figures, such as 79,216 in 1800 and 8,009,185 in 2000. However, the account is incomplete and contains a significant data omission: the other districts’ figures are not reported, and their 2000 share of 81% is missing. The statement that Manhattan’s population reached 1,850,093 in 1900 is accurate, but its population then fell to 1,538,096 by 2000; this important contrast is not explained. The overview, “It increases in every time,” is too general to capture the shift from Manhattan to the other districts. The response is also 25 words below the required minimum, limiting its coverage of the tables.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
There is a basic attempt to organise the response by moving from the citywide table to Manhattan and then the other districts, followed by a brief overall statement. This gives the reader a rough sense of the intended structure. However, progression within the paragraphs is difficult to follow: “In the third table other districts has percentage of 24% in 1900 rate is 46%” does not clearly connect the years, figures and categories. Linking phrases such as “In next century” are repeated and do not always clarify the comparison. The final sentence is also detached from the preceding details. Use separate, clearly developed paragraphs and connect each year with explicit comparisons.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, with “population,” “rate,” “growth” and “increase” doing much of the work. Some wording makes the intended meaning unclear, particularly “very effective” and “visibly difference in growth”; these are not natural ways to describe demographic change. “The least is very high” is also contradictory and does not identify what is being compared. There are spelling and word-form problems, including “continous.” To improve, use precise terms for trends and proportions, such as “rose sharply,” “accounted for,” and “share.” This would help you describe the data more accurately without relying on vague evaluative language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
Most sentences use simple patterns, and there are frequent errors in sentence formation and punctuation. For example, “In 1800 there is just 79,216 population” has an unsuitable verb form and missing grammatical structure, while “In next table shows” is an incomplete clause. The sentence about the other districts combines several ideas without clear grammatical links. There are also problems with articles, agreement and sentence boundaries, as in “other districts has percentage.” These errors sometimes make relationships between the figures hard to understand. Practise accurate simple comparisons first, then add controlled complex sentences using forms such as “whereas” and “while.”
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.