Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-01

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 first table illustrates the changes of whole population in New York city between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables depicts the changes in the population of five different districs which are namely ( Manhattan, Brooklyn , Bronx ,Queens, Staten Island) throughout the similar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response identifies the subject of the tables and names the five districts, so it is relevant to the task. However, it only introduces the visuals and does not summarise any of their main features: there are no population figures, comparisons, or trends, such as the city’s growth from 79,216 to over 8 million or the shift from Manhattan to the other districts. The overview and reporting required by the task are therefore almost entirely absent. The response also contains only 46 words, well below the required 150, leaving the task substantially incomplete. To improve, provide an overview of the major changes, then support it with selected figures from 1800, 1900, and 2000.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic opening that signals what the tables concern, and its ideas are presented in a broadly understandable order: the whole city is mentioned before the districts. However, it ends mid-thought at “throughout the similar,” so there is no completed explanation or progression beyond the introduction. There is also no paragraphing or use of linking language to organise an overview and supporting comparisons. To make the report coherent, complete the introduction, add a separate overview, and group relevant figures into paragraphs—for example, citywide growth first and the changing shares of Manhattan and the other districts next. Use clear links such as “By contrast” and “By 2000” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “population,” “tables,” and the district names, which makes its general subject clear. However, the vocabulary is too limited to describe the data or compare changes, and several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “whole population” would be better expressed as “total population,” while “changes of” is less natural than “changes in.” “Throughout the similar” is incomplete and does not communicate a clear time reference. Spelling errors such as “districs” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider range of task-specific language, including “rose,” “accounted for,” “share,” and “declined,” and check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a complex opening sentence, but grammatical control is inconsistent. In “The second and third tables depicts,” the plural subject requires “depict.” The phrase “between 1800 and 2000” is grammatically sound, but the final wording, “throughout the similar,” is incomplete and leaves the sentence unfinished. The response relies on two introductory sentences and does not demonstrate a range of sentence structures or accurate reporting patterns. Practise complete sentences that compare figures, such as “Manhattan’s population rose to … in 1900, before falling by 2000,” and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence endings. More accurate, varied structures would make the information easier to follow.

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