Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 provided tables show the rise in population in the New York, in Manhattan and other districts in two centuries from 1800 to 2000. From table it can be seen that population of individuals have increase one third of the original population in 1800 after passing each century.

The given tables show that New York use to have the largest population in each century comparing to other districts or cities. In 1800, population in New York was 79,216 thousands while the Manhattan came in second place with the population of 60,515 and other districts used to have lower ratio. This population boost to 3 lacs in 1900 in New York and 1 lac in Manhattan and other districts which cover 54% to 46% of total population. In 2000 population rise upto one third of the population in 1800 which cover 19% to 81% of the whole population.

Overall, population of individual rise by each century from 1800 to 2000 and cover greatest ratio of total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad subject and include some relevant figures, such as Manhattan’s 60,515 residents in 1800 and its 54% share in 1900. However, the main trends are repeatedly misreported, so the response addresses the task only partially. New York’s total population rose from 79,216 to 3,437,202 and then 8,009,185; it did not reach “3 lacs” in 1900 or rise to “one third” of its 1800 population by 2000. Manhattan’s population increased sharply by 1900, then fell to 1,538,096, while the other districts grew to 6,471,089. The overview should accurately highlight this shift in population share, from Manhattan’s dominance to the other districts’ 81% share in 2000.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction to details and a concluding statement, and it uses some linking expressions such as “In 1800” and “Overall.” However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview is unclear and the comparisons are not consistently organised. For example, “population of individuals have increase one third” does not clearly state what is being compared, and the later reference to “one third” repeats an inaccurate trend. Group the information by time or by Manhattan versus the other districts, and use clear references to the total population and each group. This would make the sequence of comparisons easier to understand.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “ratio,” and “total population,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear. Phrases such as “population boost to 3 lacs,” “largest population in each century,” and “cover greatest ratio” are not natural or precise ways to describe the data. “New York” is also used where “New York City” or “the city” would avoid confusion with Manhattan and the other districts. Aim for accurate reporting verbs and comparison language, such as “increased,” “accounted for,” “declined,” and “the remaining districts.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including “In 1800, population in New York was…” and a sentence comparing the 1900 shares. Some basic sentence meaning can be followed, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect clarity. Examples include “population … have increase,” “New York use to have,” and “population of individual rise.” Articles and prepositions are also often missing or awkward, as in “in the New York” and “in 1800 after passing each century.” Work on consistent past-tense reporting, subject–verb agreement, and complete, clearly structured clauses. More accurate control of these basics would make your comparisons much easier to interpret.

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

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