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 gives the information change in population of New York City from 1800 to 2000, while other two tables shows comparison among Manhattan District and other 5 districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island).
Overall, In the first table statistically shows drastic growth in population from 1800 to 2000. On other side two tables compares district wise by time.
In terms of all five districts, the least population calculated in 1800 which is exact 79,216, and in 1900 and 2000 shows huge increment in Populace that is around (3.5 Millioin and 8 Million).
Comparetively in 1800 were the least pupluation in Manhattan, but the in 1900 and 2000 shows the h
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population, and the figures you give for the total in 1800 and the approximate totals in 1900 and 2000 are broadly accurate. However, the response reports very few of the tables’ key comparisons: Manhattan’s population rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before falling to 1,538,096 in 2000, while the other districts’ share grew from 24% to 81%. The final sentence is cut off, so the district trends are not explained, and there is no complete overview of the changing distribution. The response is also 47 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. Select the main changes and support them with accurate figures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
There is an attempt to organise the response by introducing the tables, giving an overall statement, and then discussing total population and districts. This provides a basic starting structure. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview repeats the idea of growth without explaining the main contrast, and the district discussion ends mid-sentence (“the h”). Linking phrases such as “On other side” and “Comparetively” do not clearly connect the points, while the paragraphing does not develop a complete comparison. Use a clear sequence—introduction, overview, then selected details—and make each paragraph a complete unit with explicit links between the figures.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “growth,” and “increment,” so the basic subject is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “information change,” “district wise,” and “huge increment in Populace.” Spelling errors in “Millioin” and “pupluation” also reduce precision, and “exact” is not appropriate before the rounded population figure. Aim for standard data-reporting collocations and consistent, accurate spelling. For example, describe figures as a population that “increased” or “rose,” and use “accounted for” when reporting a district’s percentage of the total.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
You attempt a few longer sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “while” and an overview beginning “Overall,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence structure and agreement appear in “the first table gives the information change” and “other two tables shows comparison”; the latter also lacks an article. The phrase “In terms of all five districts, the least population calculated in 1800” has an incomplete grammatical pattern, and “in 1900 and 2000 shows” does not form a clear subject–verb structure. The final sentence is unfinished, further obscuring meaning. Practise complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles, agreement, and punctuation before submitting.
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