Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-30

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)

This table represent the information about total population of New York City the period 1800 to 2000. The information show second and third tables as well aas the five districts of the city.

Firstly, this figure show information about New York city the year 1800 population was around 79,216 But in the future this table chart provide information the year 1900 This Population develop to 3,437,202 This means that was increase to 33,57,986 more than previous Years.

On the other stage, The year 1900 population was around 3,437,202 in the New York city. In the Contract, The Year 2000 the New York City population is show on developing stage thaat was around on 8,,009,185.

Overall, This table Chart show on information the most of the population increase in the Year 2000 and decrease in the year 1800.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the overall subject and report the three total-population figures accurately: 79,216 in 1800, 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 in 2000. However, the response addresses only a small part of the task: it does not describe the changes in Manhattan or the other four districts, despite these being central to the tables. The overview that population increased by 2000 is relevant, but saying it “decrease[d] in the year 1800” misrepresents the data; 1800 is the starting point, not a decrease. The comparison between 1900 and 2000 is also not developed. The response is 13 words below the required minimum, and adding accurate district comparisons and a clearer overview would help cover the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, with an opening, two body paragraphs and a concluding overview. Sequencing the total figures from 1800 to 2000 gives the reader a simple chronological path. However, the progression is weakened by repetition: the 1900 population is stated in both the second and third paragraphs, while the district information is omitted. Connectors such as “Firstly,” “On the other stage” and “In the Contract” do not clearly express the relationships between ideas, and the final sentence does not follow logically from the figures. Group the information into a clear overview and comparisons, then use accurate linking phrases such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “districts,” “increase” and “previous years,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is narrow and several choices or combinations are inaccurate, such as “population develop,” “developing stage” and “this figure show.” Repeated use of “table” and “information” also makes the description less precise. Spelling and typing errors, including “thaat” and “aas,” further reduce clarity. Aim for standard data-reporting expressions and use verbs that describe trends accurately, such as “rose,” “grew” and “accounted for.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response mainly uses simple sentence patterns, with some attempts to connect clauses using “but” and “that.” However, errors in sentence structure and agreement occur throughout, for example, “This table represent” and “The information show,” where the subject and verb do not agree. Several sentences are incomplete or awkwardly joined, particularly “Firstly, this figure show information about New York city the year 1800 population was around…” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with unnecessary capitals and missing full stops between statements. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use a consistent past tense when reporting historical figures.

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