Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The table illustrates the changes in the total population of New york city, And also shows the population of five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island) from 1800 to 2000.

overall, New York City population increase twice in every decade, Manthan become skyrocket after a decade and than take a decrease in next decade where as last four cities are same in population they took an increase i n first decade and then took a high increase in last deacade.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the topic and mention the overall population and the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts, so the response is relevant to the task. However, the overview is unclear and includes inaccurate trends: the city’s population did not “increase twice in every decade,” and the tables give figures only for 1800, 1900 and 2000, not decade-by-decade changes. Manhattan rose from 60,515 to 1,850,093 by 1900, then fell to 1,538,096 in 2000; the other districts grew substantially, especially between 1900 and 2000. These key comparisons need accurate reporting and supporting figures. The response is also 78 words below the 150-word minimum, leaving the task substantially underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic structure: an opening sentence introduces the tables, followed by an attempt at an overview. The contrast signalled by “where as” also shows an effort to connect the trends. However, there is no developed body paragraph, and the overview combines several ideas in one long, difficult-to-follow sentence. The sequence “increase … and then … where as” does not clearly distinguish the three years or explain which population changes are being compared. Organise the report into an introduction, a concise overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing the figures. Use clear links such as “by contrast” and “between 1900 and 2000” to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “districts,” “decrease,” and “increase,” and the reader can recognise the broad subject. However, the range is narrow, and several choices are inaccurate or unsuitable for describing data. “Skyrocket” is too informal for an academic report, while “took an increase” is an unnatural collocation. “Last four cities” is also imprecise because these are districts, not cities. Spelling errors such as “Manthan,” “deacade,” and “State Island” further reduce accuracy. Build a more precise range for describing population figures and proportions, and check the spelling of place names and key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to combine ideas using a relative clause and contrast, as in “and also shows” and “where as,” rather than relying only on isolated phrases. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. In “New York City population increase,” the subject needs an article and the verb should agree and reflect the past period. “Manthan become … and than take a decrease” also has incorrect verb forms and tense. The second sentence is a run-on, with several clauses joined without effective punctuation, making the relationships between ideas unclear. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and divide comparisons into shorter, complete sentences, using commas and full stops to mark clause boundaries.

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