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 first table below illustate 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.

Overall, New York City year 2000 has a all over substancially population and other districts year 1800 has very less population. and all districts has a percentage but one district New York City has percentage not given.

It is crystal clear that, New York City from 1800 to 2000 has 79,216 and 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 population respectively. Manhattan has maximum population. In 1800 ,1900,2000 has a 60,515 and 1,850,093 and 1,538,06 polulation ossation as well as other districts in 1800 has a 18,701 populaton and 24 percent. In 1900 there has a 1,587,109 population and 46 percent. In 2000 there has a 6,471,089 population and 81 percent.These many changes has been other districts from 1800 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the overall rise in New York City’s population and include several figures from the tables, including the city totals and the other districts’ 2000 population and share. However, the overview is unclear and does not accurately summarise the main pattern: Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 and then fell, while its share declined from 76% to 19%; the other districts grew substantially and became the majority. The statement that Manhattan had the “maximum population” is not qualified by year and misses this change. The response is also 122 words, below the required 150, so the report is too brief to develop the comparisons adequately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response into an opening, an overview and a data paragraph, and the figures are presented in roughly chronological order. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview combines several unclear claims, such as “other districts year 1800 has very less population,” with an incomplete point about percentages. The final paragraph lists data without clearly contrasting Manhattan with the other districts, and the closing sentence does not add a clear summary. Linking is limited, while punctuation and spacing—such as “81 percent.These”—make the relationships between ideas harder to see. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs and connect each comparison explicitly.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-relevant terms, including “population,” “percentage,” and “districts,” and attempts to describe change with “substantially.” However, vocabulary is basic and often inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes strains understanding. Examples include “a all over substancially population,” “very less population,” and “These many changes has been other districts.” There are also spelling errors such as “illustate,” “polulation,” and “populaton,” as well as the malformed “polulation ossation,” which obscures the intended meaning. Aim for precise reporting language and accurate collocations, such as “the population increased,” “accounted for,” and “declined in share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt a few longer sentences and use past-time references, but the range of sentence structures is very limited and errors occur throughout, sometimes making the meaning difficult to interpret. For example, “New York City year 2000 has a…” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “Manhattan has maximum population” does not express the time comparison accurately. In “In 1800, 1900, 2000 has a…” the subject and verb do not agree with the list of years, and the sentence is incomplete. The overview also contains a sentence fragment beginning “and all districts…”. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use consistent past-tense reporting for the historical data.

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