Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-26
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 7.5)
The tables illustrates the changes in the total population of the five districts of New York City, the population of Manhattan, and the population of the other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, all five districts experienced a significant increase in total population within the course of 200 years. Manhattan had a drastic decrease in the proportion of total population despite a visible increase in population while the other districts had a drastic increase within the given period.
New York City in 1800, had a total population of 79,216, which multiplied significantly 1900 and 2000 to 3,437,202 and 8,009,185 respectively.
Manhattan in 1800, contributed 76% of the total population which was 60,515. In the preceeding years, the percentage decreased to 54% and 19% inspite of a significant increase in actual population at 1,850,093 in 1900 and 1,538,096 in 2000.
The remaining four districts accounted for 24% of the total population in 1800, which was 18,701. The total population in percentage almost doubled to 46% in 1900 with the total population of 1,587,109 while in 2000, the proportion hiked to 81% which was 6,471,089 of the population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
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 declining proportion of the total population and the significant growth in the other four districts. The data is accurately selected and used to support your points. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently distinguish between absolute numbers and percentages, as the data set is complex. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task well, providing a clear summary of the provided tables with relevant comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by category (Manhattan vs. other districts). The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In the preceeding years' and 'The remaining four districts' to link your points effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences are slightly more varied to avoid a mechanical feel, but the current structure is already quite effective and clear.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'contributed', 'proportion', and 'accounted for'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'preceeding' (preceding) and 'inspite' (in spite), and some word choice issues like 'hiked' which is slightly informal for an academic report. However, these do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure spelling accuracy for common words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'The tables illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'multiplied significantly 1900 and 2000' (missing preposition). Despite these, the majority of your sentences are clear and error-free. You have used complex structures effectively to report the data. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that prepositions are used correctly when discussing time periods and numerical data.
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