Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-25

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, second and third table compares the change in total population of New York city based on the population of 5 cities altogether, Manhattan city and the rest four districts, respectively, between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the population of the New York city has been increasing reaching the most populated year by the end of the given period. In the case of Manhattan district, intermediate year mark the highest population among the given period and for the rest of the four districts, the end period was the year with more population.

In 1800, Manhattan hold the major proportion of people of 76% when comparing with the rest of the four districts, 24%. And this trend was maintained by Manhattan in the adjacent year too with 54%. In 2000, on to the contrary, the aggregate of rest of the four districts (81%) rose than Manhattan (19%).

The total population of New York City, integrating all the five districts, in 1800 was about 79,216 where 76% were from Manhattan. In 1900, the population escalated to 3,437,202, whose 54% was hold by Manhattan. But in 2000, the overall population jumped in to 8,009,185, of which major contribution was from the other four districts with 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively identifies the main trends and provides a clear overview of the population shifts in New York City. You have successfully highlighted the contrast between Manhattan's early dominance and the subsequent growth of the other four districts. The data is accurately selected and used to support the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that the comparison between the total population and the specific districts is more seamlessly integrated, as the current structure feels slightly repetitive when discussing the same figures in different paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the general trend to specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'In 2000', and 'on to the contrary' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the third and fourth paragraphs could be improved to avoid repeating the same data points, which currently disrupts the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'major proportion', 'escalated', and 'aggregate' are used appropriately. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'whose 54% was hold by Manhattan' (should be 'held') and 'the rest four districts' (should be 'the remaining four districts'). These errors do not impede communication but prevent the vocabulary from being considered highly flexible or precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Manhattan hold' instead of 'held') and awkward phrasing ('the rest four districts'). Additionally, there are minor errors in preposition usage and article placement. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from reaching the 7.0 band, which requires more frequent error-free sentences.

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