Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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)

This table illustrates the evolution in the population of new york city in the span of 1800 to 2000.

overall the manhattan's population was the most in new york city in 1800 whereas decreased immensely in the 2000.the signiuficant change occurs during the span of 1900 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the topic and make a relevant comparison by noting that Manhattan had the largest population in 1800 and that its population later fell. However, the response reports almost none of the table’s key information: it gives no figures, omits the city’s overall growth, and does not mention that the other districts rose to 81% of the total by 2000. The claim that the significant change occurred from 1900 to 2000 is vague and does not explain the contrasting trends. The task is addressed only minimally, and the overview is too limited to summarise the main features. The response is also 102 words below the required minimum; develop the summary with accurate figures and comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table, gives an overall observation, and then refers to a period of change. The use of “overall” signals an attempt to organise the information. However, the ideas are not developed into a clear progression, and the two observations are compressed into a very short paragraph. The relationship between Manhattan’s decline and the growth of the other districts is not explained, while “the significant change” has no clear reference. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph comparing the figures across the years. Use linking phrases to make the comparisons explicit rather than leaving the reader to infer them.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “evolution,” and “decreased,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is very limited, and some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “evolution in the population” is less natural than “changes in population,” and “the most” does not clearly express that Manhattan had the largest population. There are also spelling errors in “signiuficant” and “new york,” which reduce accuracy. To improve, use precise terms such as “accounted for,” “rose,” “fell,” and “proportion,” and vary the language used to compare the three years and the two population groups.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both an introductory sentence and a longer sentence containing a contrast, but the grammatical range is narrow and errors recur. For example, “in the span of 1800 to 2000” uses an incorrect time expression, and “the manhattan's population was the most” has faulty article and possessive construction. The clause “whereas decreased immensely in the 2000” lacks a subject and has an incorrect time expression; the final sentence also needs clearer sentence boundaries and punctuation. These problems make parts of the meaning difficult to follow. Practise accurate simple comparison structures first, such as “Manhattan’s population fell from … to …,” then combine them with clauses using “while” or “whereas.”

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.