Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-24

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 7.0)

The first table shows changes in the total population of New York City in the span of 200 years that is from 1800 to 2000. The second and third table showcases the changes in the population of the five districts of New York City. The districts include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island.

Overall, increase in the population is seen from 1800 to 2000. Approximately 10 times of population has increased across all the 5 districts. In the 1800's, maximum percentage of total population was from Manhattan while in 2000's the maximum percentage of total population was from other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and State Island. Thus decrease in percentage of total population is seen in Manhattan while an increase in seen in other districts over the years.

In the year 1800, population of New York city was around 80,000 which increased to around 34 lakh in 1900 and then jumped to 80 lakh in 2000's.The total population of Manhattan in 1800 was close to 60k and it contributed to 76% of total population. . in 1900, population reached to 18 lakhs but in 2000 population decreased to around 15 lakhs. With the increasing years Manhattan's percentage of total population decreased. It reached 54% in 1990 and to only 19% in 2000. In the other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island the population also inclined over the years. In 1800 it was around 18k which increased to 64lakhs by 2000. Along with the population, percentage of total population also increased from 24% in 1800 to 81% in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all parts of the task, including the total population and the specific trends for Manhattan versus the other districts. You successfully identified the main trend: the shift in population dominance from Manhattan to the other four districts. However, the use of 'lakh' (an Indian numbering system) is inappropriate for an international IELTS exam; you should use standard international notation (e.g., 3.4 million instead of 34 lakh). While the data is generally accurate, the inclusion of specific figures could be more precise to better support your analysis. The overview is clear and effectively highlights the key contrast between the districts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the year 1800', and 'In the other districts' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by separating the general overview from the specific data analysis more distinctly. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences in the final paragraph is occasionally repetitive. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contributed to', 'inclined', and 'percentage'. However, the use of 'lakh' is a significant lexical error in an international context. Additionally, there are some minor word-choice issues, such as 'inclined' (which usually refers to a slope or a preference) instead of 'increased' or 'rose'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and ensure that numerical units are consistent with international standards.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as '10 times of population has increased' (should be 'the population increased tenfold') and 'In the 1800's' (the apostrophe is unnecessary). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some spacing errors (e.g., '80,000.The'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and avoiding unnecessary punctuation will improve your accuracy.

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