Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-22

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)

This table gives us information about how much people living in New York city and its Five districts form last two decades from 1800 to 2000.

It is clear from the table that there were only about 79 thousand people living in Newyork city in1800 and then increase to More than 8 million over a given period of time.

Lets get into more details, in 1800 Mostly people living in New York city were from marattan district with proportion of 76 compared to others only contributing by 24 percentage of people.In next decade the total population increased and still Major bulk of people were from Marathan district.

In 2000, Total population increased to 8 millions , which majority of it

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population, noting about 79,000 residents in 1800 and more than 8 million by 2000. You also recognise Manhattan’s initial dominance. However, the response is incomplete and reports only a small part of the tables: it omits the 1900 and 2000 district figures and does not explain the major shift from Manhattan to the other four districts. The statement that the population increased “in next decade” is inaccurate; the comparison is with 1900, a century later. The final sentence about 2000 is unfinished, leaving a key comparison unclear. The response is also 30 words below the required minimum. Include a complete overview and select accurate figures to support the main changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction, followed by a broad trend and then district details. Phrases such as “It is clear” and “in 1800” help signal the sequence. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the account stops partway through the 2000 comparison, and the paragraphing does not develop a complete summary. “In next decade” also gives the wrong time relationship and disrupts the comparison. Use a clear overview paragraph, then group the figures by period or by Manhattan versus the other districts. Complete each comparison and use linking phrases that accurately show change over time.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “population,” “proportion,” “increased,” and “majority,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings reduce clarity: “how much people” is not a natural way to refer to population, while “bulk” is awkward in “Major bulk of people.” The district name is repeatedly misspelled as “marattan” or “Marathan,” and “Newyork” should be written as “New York.” Aim for precise, conventional data-reporting language and check proper nouns carefully. For example, use “population” rather than “how much people,” and “accounted for” when describing a share.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes some simple sentence forms and an attempt at a longer sentence, such as “It is clear from the table that…,” but control is inconsistent. In “there were only about 79 thousand people … and then increase,” the verb form should be “increased.” The phrase “in 1800 Mostly people living…” lacks a clear grammatical structure, and “which majority of it” is incomplete. Capitalisation and punctuation are also unreliable, with unnecessary capitals in “More,” “Mostly,” and “Total,” and missing spaces after full stops. Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense consistency when describing past data.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.