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 picture illustrate that all population of New York City changes since 1800 to 2000 and another picture states that changes in population of five states of the city at same time period.

overall, the new york city population is increases from 1800 to 2000 , in that one districts know as Manhattan has population increases but as percentage is decreases from 1800 to 2000

The N

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the broad subject and make an attempt at an overview, noting that New York City’s population increased and that Manhattan’s share fell. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: Manhattan’s population did not increase throughout the period; it rose to 1,850,093 in 1900, then declined to 1,538,096 by 2000. The response gives no supporting figures or meaningful comparisons with the other districts, so it reports only a small part of the table information. It also stops mid-sentence at “The N,” leaving the task substantially incomplete. The required minimum of 150 words is not met. To improve, complete the summary and select key figures that show the city’s growth and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence introduces the tables, followed by a sentence beginning “overall” that tries to summarise the main trend. This gives the reader a minimal sense of the intended structure. However, the response ends abruptly with “The N,” and there is no developed body paragraph or progression through the data. The link between the citywide increase and the changing district shares is not explained, and the overview sentence is difficult to follow. Use separate paragraphs for the introduction, overview and key comparisons, and connect each point clearly—for example, contrast Manhattan’s declining share with the growth of the other four districts.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “population,” “New York City,” “Manhattan,” “percentage” and “period,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, vocabulary is basic and repetitive, and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “five states” for the city’s districts and “another picture states.” The phrase “all population” is also unclear, while “districts know as” does not express the intended meaning precisely. These limitations make parts of the description difficult to interpret. Build a more suitable range for describing tables, using terms such as “boroughs,” “accounted for,” “share,” “rose” and “declined,” and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to form connected sentences and include a contrast with “but,” but the grammatical range is very limited and errors occur in most of the available text. For example, “The picture illustrate” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “the population is increases” combines incompatible verb forms. The opening also lacks necessary articles and prepositions in “changes since 1800 to 2000” and “at same time period.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including the lowercase “overall” and “new york city.” The unfinished “The N” further prevents the final sentence from being assessed. Practise accurate simple past and present forms for trends, and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries.

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.