Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27

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 chart below shows the 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.

Overal, in 1800 to 2000 all population was increased substancially. In manhattan 1800 has less population and other districts in 1800 has same less popolation.

It is crystal clear new york city (all five districts) in 1800,1900,2000 has 79,216 as well as 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 population respectively.In manhattan year 1800,1900,2000 has 60,515 and 1,850,093 as well as 1,538,096 popukation occation.

In other districts, in 1800 there has 18,701 population and 24 percentage . In 1900 there has a 1,587,1069 populatoin as well as 46 percent. In 2000 there has a very high numbers of population. There has a 6,471,089 population and there has a 81 percentage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and include figures for all three years, so the response is relevant to the task. However, the overview is unclear and misses the key contrast: Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 and then fell, while the other districts grew substantially and made up a larger share by 2000. The claim that Manhattan had “less population” in 1800 is also misleading without comparison, since it accounted for 76% of the city total. One figure is inaccurate: the other districts’ 1900 population is 1,587,109, not “1,587,1069.” The response is 112 words, below the required 150; the 40 words copied from the prompt do not count. Add a clear overview and accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic paragraph structure, moving from an opening to an overview and then to figures for the city, Manhattan and the other districts. This gives the reader some sense of the intended organisation. However, progression is limited: the overview repeats general information rather than summarising the main contrasts, and the final paragraph lists figures without clearly comparing them. Linking and reference are also awkward, as in “In other districts, in 1800 there has…” and the repeated “there has” in the final sentences. Organise the body around meaningful comparisons—for example, Manhattan’s decline after 1900 versus the continued growth elsewhere—and use clear transitions such as “by contrast” and “whereas.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant terms, including “total population,” “districts,” and “percentage,” and the main figures remain understandable. However, the vocabulary is limited and several choices or spellings reduce precision: “table chart” is redundant, “very high numbers” is vague, and “population occation” does not communicate a clear meaning. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “Overal,” “substancially,” “popolation,” and “populatoin.” Use precise language for trends and comparisons, such as “rose,” “declined,” “accounted for,” and “share of the total.” Check spelling carefully, especially for key terms repeated throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response mainly uses short, simple statements and attempts a few time-based constructions, but control is weak and errors occur frequently. Examples include “all population was increased,” “Manhattan 1800 has less population,” and “In 1900 there has a…,” where verb forms and sentence patterns are not accurate. The sequence “year 1800,1900,2000 has…” also lacks a clear grammatical structure, while punctuation and spacing around figures are inconsistent. These problems sometimes make relationships between the data difficult to follow. Practise accurate past-tense reporting, such as “The population increased” and “Manhattan’s population stood at…,” and build comparisons with complete clauses, for example, “By 2000, the other districts had grown to…”

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

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