Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-01

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 8.0)

The compares the total population of New York City and the population distribution between Manhattan and other different cities in 1800,1900 and 2000.

In 1800, New York City had a population of only 79,216 people. This number increase sharply to 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 in 2000. Manhattan accounted for the majority of the city's population in 1800, with 60,515 residents represent 76% of the total. By 1900, its population had increasing slightly to 1,850,093, although its production had fallen to 54%. In 2000, the population of Manhattan decreased slightly to 1,538,096, making up just 19% of the city's population.

In contrast, the combined population of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island rose from 18,701(24%) in 1800, 1,587,109 (46%) in 1900 and 6,471,089 (81%) in 2000 of the total population.

In conclusion, New York City experienced remarkable population growth between 1800 and 2000, with most of the increase occurring in the four outer districts rather than Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have successfully identified the main trends in total population growth and highlighted the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between the two groups (Manhattan vs. the rest) is clear and relevant. To reach a higher band, ensure that you explicitly mention all five districts by name at least once, as the prompt specifically lists them. Overall, the information is well-selected and provides a clear summary of the provided tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the total population to the specific district comparisons. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'By 1900', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different data sets. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between the different time periods is clearly established throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for the majority', 'experienced remarkable population growth', and 'making up just 19%' are used accurately. There are a few minor errors, such as using 'production' instead of 'proportion' and 'increase' instead of 'increased'. However, these do not impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' or 'decrease' to avoid repetition and show a higher level of lexical precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'This number increase' (should be 'increased') and 'its population had increasing' (should be 'increased'), the meaning remains clear. You have used relative clauses and comparative structures effectively. The punctuation is generally accurate. To achieve a higher score, focus on ensuring consistent verb tense usage when describing historical data and double-check subject-verb agreement in your sentences.

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