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 table compares the population of New york cty ansd show how the population was distributed between Manhattan and other four districts in 1800,1900 and 2000.

It is evident that in the year 1800, New york city had a total population of 79,216, of whom 60,515(76%) lived in Manhattan. The remaining 18,701 people lived in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island combined.

By 1990, the city's popultion had risen sharply to 3,437,202. Manhattan's population had increased to 1,850,093, although its share of total fallen to 54%. Meanwhile, the other four district experienced even faster growth, reaching 1,587,109 residents, which represented 46% of the city's population

Over the following century,New york city's population continued to grow, reaching 8,009,185 in 2000. However, Manhattan was the only area to record a decline in its population, dropping to 1,538,096 or just 19% of the total. In contrast, the comined population of the other four districts rose drametically to 6,471,089 of all residents.

Overall, New york city's population increased drametically over the years. while manhattan was home of vast mejority of residents in 1800 and declined steadily in 1900 and 2000. By 2000, the combined districts accounted for more than four-fifths of residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively summarizes the main trends and provides relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts. You successfully identified the key data points for 1800, 1900, and 2000. The overview clearly highlights the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, there is a minor factual error in your second body paragraph where you refer to '1990' instead of '1900' as shown in the table. Despite this, the task is well-addressed with clear reporting of figures and trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and an overview. You use cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'However', and 'In contrast' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different time periods. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between the data points is easy to follow. While some transitions are slightly mechanical, the overall structure is coherent and supports the reader's understanding of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'sharply', 'decline', and 'combined population'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'New york cty', 'ansd', 'popultion', 'comined', 'drametically', and 'mejority'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on accuracy in spelling and attempt to incorporate more varied academic collocations to describe the trends in the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use complex sentences to compare data, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the other four district experienced' (should be plural) and 'while manhattan was home of vast mejority' (missing articles). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some missing spaces after commas. The errors do not significantly impede meaning, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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