Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-28

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 three table charts illustrate the changes in the total population of new york city from 1800 to 2000 and the second ir third table show the changes in the population of the five districts of the city, manhattan, brooklyn, bronx, queens, staten island, over the same period.

overall, the three table represent the whole condition, firstly, new york city all five districts in mnay years and show same years population and more manhattan are same satiation, year or population and as percentage % of total population or last table show begin others distracts, brooklyn, bronx, queens, staten island.

The tables charts represent that different condition, first table show new york city in 2000 has 8,009,185 population. second chart, manhattan in 1800 has a population 60,515 and his proportion on the time 76%. third other districts in 1900 has a population 1,587,109 and his ration the time 46%.The three table charts below the difference condition at all.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the topic and include a few accurate figures, such as New York City’s population of 8,009,185 in 2000 and Manhattan’s 1800 population and share. However, the response does not report the main trends: the city’s total population rose sharply, Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 and then fell, and the other districts grew to account for most residents by 2000. The overview is unclear and does not communicate these comparisons; phrases such as “whole condition” do not describe a meaningful feature. Several table details are mentioned without explaining their significance. The response is also 123 words, below the required 150, and 34 words copied from the prompt were excluded from that count. Select and compare the key changes, then support them with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.0

There is an attempt to organise the response into an opening, an overview, and a final paragraph, and the tables are discussed in roughly the order presented. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview does not summarise the data and the final paragraph repeats the idea that the tables show “different condition” without adding a clear comparison. Linking expressions such as “overall,” “firstly,” and “second” are present, but they do not establish clear relationships between the figures. References such as “his proportion” and “the time” also leave the reader unsure what is being compared. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and key trends, and connect each figure explicitly to its year, district, and comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “percentage,” and “proportion,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear: “three table charts,” “whole condition,” “same satiation,” and “ration the time” do not express the intended data relationships naturally. There are also spelling errors in “new york,” “mnay,” “ir,” and “distracts.” Aim for precise, repeated-use terms such as “population share,” “accounted for,” “increased,” and “declined.” Check spelling and choose words that describe measurable changes rather than using vague phrases such as “condition.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

You attempt to form longer sentences, for example by joining information with “and,” and some basic clauses communicate individual figures. However, sentence structures are often incomplete or poorly controlled, as in “overall, the three table represent the whole condition” and “manhattan in 1800 has a population 60,515.” Agreement and verb forms are inconsistent (“table represent,” “first table show”), and articles and prepositions are frequently missing or misplaced. The final sentence, “The three table charts below the difference condition at all,” does not form a complete, clear statement. Use straightforward sentence patterns first: identify the subject, use a correctly inflected verb, and state the comparison. Then add a limited number of accurate clauses with “while” or “whereas.”

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

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