Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 given tables provide information on the shifts in the total popuplation of New Your City and compares the population of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Saten Island from 1800 to 2000

In 1800, New York city only had a popullation of 79,216 with 60,515 resident ling in Manhattan distric, while other four distric wre copmrised only 24% on the total population. By 1900, population figures gree to 3,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the topic and begins to report relevant figures, including the 1800 city total of 79,216 and Manhattan’s population of 60,515. However, it stops before presenting a complete summary: the 1900 figure is cut off at “3,” and there is no account of the 2000 total or the major shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts. There is also no clear overview of the overall growth and changing distribution. The response is substantially below the required length, which leaves the task only minimally addressed. To improve, provide an overview first, then compare the three years using accurate figures and explain the contrast between Manhattan’s declining share and the other districts’ growth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The opening sentence establishes the subject, and the next sentence begins a chronological account with “In 1800” and “By 1900.” This gives the response a basic direction, but the progression is incomplete because it ends mid-figure and does not develop the comparison across all three dates. There is no paragraphing or concluding overview, and the relationship between the city total and district figures is not fully explained. The linking word “while” does signal a contrast, although the sentence itself is unfinished and the comparison is unclear. Organise the response into an introduction, a concise overview, and one or two detail paragraphs, using clear transitions to compare changes over time.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, such as “total population,” “resident,” and “percentage,” and attempts to describe change with “shifts.” However, spelling errors are frequent and noticeable, including “popuplation,” “popullation,” “Your,” “Saten,” and “distric.” Some phrasing is also imprecise: “only had a population” is less suitable for a neutral data summary, and “comprised only 24% on the total population” is not a natural collocation. These issues make the short passage harder to read, although its general topic remains recognisable. Check spelling carefully and use precise reporting language such as “stood at,” “accounted for,” and “the remaining districts.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a compound sentence using “while,” and the opening sentence tries to introduce both tables and their comparison. However, grammatical control is weak in the available text. For example, “the total population … and compares” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “60,515 resident ling in Manhattan distric” lacks a correctly formed clause and has an incomplete verb construction. The final sentence is unfinished, so its structure and meaning cannot be fully followed. Most of the writing relies on simple sentence patterns, with little evidence of controlled variety. Build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, check agreement and articles, and proofread punctuation; for example, state that 60,515 people lived in Manhattan in 1800.

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

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