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 first table illustrates the changes in the total population of New York City between the period of 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables describes the changes in the population of the five districts of the city from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, it is seen that the population of all five districts of New York City has been increasing steadily over the period, while other districts were decreasing with the time period. However, there was a sharp decline in the percentage of total population of Manhattan between 1800 and 2000.

There was a significant drop in the population of New York City about 30lac in 1900 and then around 45lac in 2000, while in other districts there was a decline of about 1lac.

In Manhattan, there was a sharp decline in percentage of population from 76 to 19 percent between 1800 and 2000 respectively, while percentage of other four districts was decreasing from 24 to 81 over the same period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the broad topic and attempts an overview, but it does not accurately report the main trends. It says all five districts increased steadily and that the other districts declined, whereas Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 by 1900 before falling to 1,538,096, and the combined population of the other districts increased throughout. The figures described as drops of “about 30lac” and “around 45lac” are also misleading: these are approximate population levels, not declines. The percentage comparison is partly correct, but the other districts’ share rose from 24% to 81%, not decreased. The response is 142 words, below the 150-word minimum. Include accurate key figures and distinguish population totals from percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of details. The response also uses linking expressions such as “Overall,” “while,” and “between… and…,” which helps signal comparisons. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview claims that all districts increased while other districts decreased, and the later details do not clarify or correct this contradiction. The final paragraph repeats the percentage comparison without explaining the population figures, while “respectively” does not clearly connect the two percentages to their years. Organise the body around the total population and the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts, and use clear references to years and measures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “percentage,” “significant,” and “sharp decline,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing the data. “Drop” and “decline” are repeatedly used even where the figures show growth, and “increasing steadily” does not fit the uneven changes shown. The expression “about 30lac” is also unsuitable in this context and does not clearly identify a population level or change. Use precise terms such as “rose,” “fell,” “accounted for,” and “combined population,” and state whether a figure refers to a total or a share.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and complex sentences, including clauses joined with “while” and time phrases such as “between 1800 and 2000.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur in several sentence patterns. For example, “The second and third tables describes” has subject–verb disagreement; “between the period of 1800 and 2000” is an awkward construction; and “from 76 to 19 percent … respectively” does not form a clear grammatical comparison. The overview sentence also combines claims in a way that makes the relationships difficult to interpret. Practise accurate agreement and concise comparison structures, for example, “Manhattan’s share fell from 76% in 1800 to 19% in 2000.”

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