Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-04

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 information about change in the total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables gives the information about population of five districts of the city over the same period.

Overall, In New York five districts the population had increased by the end of the period. While second

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the subject of both sets of tables and make a broad attempt at an overview by saying the population increased. However, the response stops before reporting the key comparisons: the city’s total rose from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, while Manhattan’s share fell from 76% to 19% as the other districts’ share grew. The unfinished phrase “While second” leaves an important comparison incomplete, and no supporting figures are given. The required minimum of 150 words is not met; the response contains 49 words, with eight words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. To address the task, complete the overview and select several accurate figures to support it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence introduces the tables, followed by a separate paragraph beginning “Overall”. This gives the reader a starting structure, but the response has no developed progression from overview to comparisons or supporting details. The second paragraph breaks off at “While second”, so the relationship it appears to introduce is never completed and the text does not form a coherent whole. The capitalisation in “Overall, In” also interrupts the flow. Build a clear sequence with an introduction, an overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing the figures; use linking words only where they express a complete relationship.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to identify the topic, using relevant terms such as “total population”, “districts” and “period”. The wording is generally understandable, but the range is narrow and some expressions are imprecise or repetitive: “illustrates information about change” is less natural than a direct description of what the table shows, and “gives the information about population” repeats the same idea. The incomplete phrase “While second” also prevents the intended comparison from being expressed. Use precise reporting language and vocabulary for trends and proportions, such as “rose”, “declined”, “accounted for” and “share”. This would make the description more informative without requiring unnecessarily complex wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows some control of basic sentence patterns, and the first sentence communicates its general meaning. However, there is little evidence of a range of structures, and errors appear in the limited text. In “The second and third tables gives”, the plural subject requires “give”. The phrase “Overall, In New York five districts” has faulty punctuation and an unclear grammatical relationship; “Overall, the population across New York City’s five districts…” would be clearer. “While second” is an incomplete clause, and “had increased” is not appropriate without a later past reference point; “increased” is suitable for describing the change over the period. Practise complete comparison sentences and check agreement, clause structure and tense.

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