Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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)

The table illustrate that population change in 1800 to 2000. the secound and 3rd one table depicts the five districts population change .

firstly, gradualluy changes in 2000, the population rose that [redacted phone] in New York city. on the other hand lowest population shows in 1800 that is 79216.Midd of the year population increased.

secondly, in manhanttan and other districts had a majjor change in population highest in 1800 that was 76% and 24%. Also we can seen that lowest population in manhanttan in 1800 and other districts had a higest population.

in the end, we can seem that first or thried table significantly increased the last of the year and other table depicts that come to hights to lowest side of the population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the broad subject and mention that New York’s population rose, but the response does not clearly summarise the main changes or make accurate, useful comparisons. The total for 2000 is given as 8,009,184 rather than 8,009,185, and the district figures are not reported: Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 before falling, while the other districts grew substantially and made up 81% of the total by 2000. The statement that the districts had their “highest” shares in 1800 is inaccurate; those percentages were their lowest. The overview is therefore unclear and some key features are missing. The response is also 26 words below the required minimum. Select the main trends and support them with correctly reported figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is an attempt to organise the response into stages, using “firstly,” “secondly,” and “in the end,” and the writing broadly moves from the city total to the districts. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the paragraphs do not develop distinct, clear comparisons. For example, “Midd of the year population increased” does not explain which period or figures are being compared, and the final sentence repeats a general claim without clarifying it. Some linking phrases, such as “on the other hand,” do not establish a meaningful contrast. Use a clear overview followed by one paragraph on total population and another comparing Manhattan with the other districts; connect each point explicitly to the relevant years.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “increased,” and “highest,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms make the meaning unclear, such as “gradualluy changes,” “come to hights,” and “lowest population in manhanttan.” Spelling errors—including “secound,” “majjor,” and “manhanttan”—also reduce accuracy. In addition, “population change” is repeated rather than using more precise language to describe the contrasting trends. Build a small set of accurate expressions for describing rises, falls, peaks, and proportions, and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts simple statements and some longer constructions, but sentence structures are often incomplete or inaccurately formed. For example, “The table illustrate that population change in 1800 to 2000” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “in manhanttan and other districts had a majjor change” has no correctly formed subject–verb relationship. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and tense, as in “the population rose that” and “we can seen.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, with sentence boundaries missing after “79216.” These errors frequently make relationships between ideas hard to understand. Practise complete subject–verb sentences and accurate past-tense reporting, then proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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