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)

The table illustrates changesbin the total population of the five districts of the citys and new york city from between 1800 to 2000.

overview, the information from selecting and reporting the main features city and other districts years and population compering others tables.

The new york city in 1800 population 79216 other side manhattan population 60515 less in manhattan. 1900 new york city population [redacted phone] it is more, manhattan population [redacted phone] it is a little less . 2000 population [redacted phone] it is very much more, manhattan population [redacted phone] it is very less population.

The other districts 1800 population 18701 it is less and low 24% manhattan population 60515 it is very mucy more heavy 76%.1900 population [redacted phone] 46% it is littele bit less, manhattan population [redacted phone] 54% it is more. last 2000 population [redacted phone] 81% it is very much more in population and % . manhattan population [redacted phone] 19% it is very much less population and %.

comapering, 2000 other districts very much more population and % manhattan very less.[redacted phone] other districts it is a little bit less population and %, manhattan it is very much more incresad population and %.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You include figures from all three years and both population groups, and several values are accurately reported, including Manhattan’s 1,850,093 in 1900 and the other districts’ 6,471,089 in 2000. However, the response only partially fulfils the task because it lacks a clear, accurate overview of the main trends. The final comparison says the other districts had a lower population in 1800 and 1900, but this is not true in 1900: their population was 1,587,109, compared with Manhattan’s 1,850,093, so it was lower then, while their share rose from 24% to 46%. More importantly, the city’s overall growth and the shift in population share towards the other districts are not clearly summarised. Select these key trends and compare them accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has separate paragraphs and broadly moves from the city totals to Manhattan and then the other districts, so the reader can identify the general subject of each section. However, progression is weak: the second paragraph begins with an unclear overview, and the final paragraph repeats comparisons already made without adding a clear summary. Linking expressions such as “1900,” “last 2000,” and “comparing” are used mechanically, while references such as “it” and “it is more” do not always make clear which population or percentage is being discussed. Organise the report into a brief introduction, a clear overview, and grouped details, using explicit comparisons to connect the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to identify the main topic and report basic comparisons, with terms such as “population,” “districts,” and “percentage.” However, the range is limited and repetitive, and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “very much more,” “a little bit less,” and “heavy” for population share. Spelling errors such as “comapering,” “incresad,” and “mucy” also reduce clarity. Use a more precise range of trend and comparison language, for example “increased substantially,” “accounted for,” and “represented a smaller share.” Check spelling carefully and avoid repeating vague intensifiers when the figures themselves can show the scale of a difference.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response relies mainly on short, incomplete sentence patterns, and frequent errors make some comparisons difficult to follow. For example, “The new york city in 1800 population 79216” has no clear grammatical structure, while “1900 new york city population 3437202 it is more” joins ideas without a suitable clause or punctuation. Articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries are often missing or inaccurate, as in “from between 1800 to 2000.” There is little evidence of controlled complex sentence forms. Practise writing complete sentences with a subject and verb, and use comparison structures such as “In 1900, Manhattan had…, whereas the other districts had…”. Accurate full stops and commas will also help separate the data clearly.

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