Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 table describe the information about changes in the total population of five districts of New York city from 1800 to 2000.

Manhattan has the greatest percentage population while all other district has lower percentage population in 1800. Manhattan percentage population decreases about twenty percent while other four districts percentage population increases upto twenty percent in 1900. By 2000, the Manhattn percentage population in 1800 was 76% but in 2000 it decreases to 19%. While the other four districts percentage population start from 24% in 1800 but reaches to 81% in 2000.

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AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the broad contrast between Manhattan and the other four districts, and the figures of 76% and 19% for Manhattan and 24% and 81% for the other districts are accurate. However, the response only minimally summarises the tables: it omits the total city population and the key change that Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 before falling by 2000, while the other districts grew substantially. The statement that the other districts’ share increased “up to twenty percent” in 1900 is inaccurate; it reached 46%. There is no clear, complete overview, and the response is 85 words, below the required 150 words (65 words short; eight copied prompt words were excluded). Add a concise overview and select accurate comparisons across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic sequence from 1800 to 2000, and contrast markers such as “while” help signal comparisons. However, the ideas are not arranged into a clear report structure: there is no distinct overview, and the short body moves between percentage changes without consistently explaining which year or group is being compared. “By 2000” introduces a comparison, but the following sentence repeats figures already mentioned rather than developing the summary. The isolated “ove” at the end also disrupts the presentation. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview of the main trends, and a paragraph comparing the figures by year or group; use linking words only where they clarify the relationship.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms such as “percentage,” “decreases,” “increases,” and “reaches,” so the reader can recognise the intended topic and comparisons. However, vocabulary is limited and repetitive, especially in the repeated phrase “percentage population.” Some word choices and forms are inaccurate or awkward, including “greatest percentage population,” “other district,” and “start from.” “Manhattn” is also misspelled, and “ove” appears to be an unfinished word. These slips make parts of the report less clear and less natural. Build a small range of accurate table-description phrases, such as “accounted for,” “share of the total,” and “rose to,” and check spelling and plural forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts several connected comparisons, including “Manhattan percentage population decreases … while other four districts … increases,” but grammatical control is weak and errors frequently affect clarity. The opening “The table describe” has subject–verb disagreement, and “all other district has” also has agreement and plural errors. Tense is inconsistent when describing historical data: “decreases,” “increases,” and “reaches” are present forms, while the figures refer to past years. The final comparison beginning “While the other four districts…” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Use past-tense verbs consistently, check singular and plural subjects, and make each comparison a complete sentence. A wider range of accurately controlled sentence patterns is also needed.

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

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