Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-30
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 following tables show the changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000 as well as the five districts of the city over the same period.
Overall, population has increased immensely over the time period, with Manhattan as the main district with the most population compared to other districts.
In the year 1800, population of New York city ( all five districts ) was 79,216. By the time 1900, the peoples size soared up by almost 40 times at 3,[redacted phone]. That population inflated by thrice as much at 8,009,187 by the year 2000.
In 1800, Manhattan was the main district with more population compared to other districts ( Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) at 76% (60,515) of the total population of New York City residing there and 24% (18,701) residents were distributed to others districts. By 1900, population of Manhattan spread towards other districts, making the number of people similar in both areas at 54% (1,850,093) in Manhattan and 46% (1,587,109) in other districts.
In 2000, majority of the people started to live in other districts covering 81% (6,471,089) of the total population of the city in contrast to population of Manhattan at 19% (6,471,089).
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview and selecting key data points from the tables. You successfully identified the main trend of population growth and the shift in distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, there is a significant factual error in the final paragraph where you state the population of Manhattan in 2000 is 6,471,089; this figure actually refers to the 'other districts'. This inaccuracy affects the clarity of your reporting. To improve, ensure that data points are carefully cross-referenced with the source tables to maintain accuracy.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In the year 1800', 'By 1900', and 'In contrast to' to guide the reader through the chronological data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general trend from the specific district analysis. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'soared', 'inflated', and 'distributed'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'peoples size' instead of 'population size' and 'thrice as much' which is less common in this context. Additionally, the repetition of 'main district with more population' limits the precision of your writing. Expanding your range of synonyms for growth and distribution would help elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'By the time 1900' should be 'By 1900', and '3,437.202' is incorrectly punctuated as a decimal rather than a thousands separator. There are also minor issues with articles and pluralization, such as 'others districts'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading of your sentence construction and numerical formatting.
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