Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

the table illustrate how the population of new youk city and the distribution of that population across manhattan and the other four boroughs , changed between 1800 and 2000 .

overall, the total population of the city grew dramatically over the two centuries while there was clear shift in where most residents lived , from manhattans towords the outer boroughs.

in 1800, new york's population was just 79216 nad the vast majority of the resident , 76% , lived in manhattam , with only 24% spread acrooss brooklyn , bronx , oueens and staten island . by 1900 the total population had risen sharply to over 3.4 millions and although manhattan's population had also increased substantially in absolute terms , its shars of the total fell to 54%, roughly matched by the other boroughts at 46% .

This trend continued into 2000, when the city's population reached just over 8 million. By this point, Manhattan accounted for only 19% of residents, whereas the other four boroughs together housed 81% of the population, despite Manhattan's own population remaining relatively stable compared with 1900.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response effectively identifies the main trends, including the dramatic overall population growth and the significant shift in distribution from Manhattan to the outer boroughs. Key data points from 1800, 1900, and 2000 are accurately selected and compared, fulfilling the requirements of the task. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant developments over the two-century period. The information is well-supported by the provided figures, and the comparison between the central borough and the outer areas is handled logically throughout the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. Cohesive devices such as 'by 1900', 'although', and 'whereas' are used effectively to link ideas and contrast data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the detailed analysis. The flow of information is smooth, and the reader can easily follow the comparison of population shifts over time. There is a minor issue with punctuation and capitalization, but the overall structure remains coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic report, using terms like 'dramatically', 'substantially', and 'accounted for' to describe trends. There are some spelling errors, such as 'new youk', 'manhattans', 'towords', 'nad', 'shars', and 'boroughts', which are distracting. While the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, these repeated spelling inaccuracies prevent a higher score. The student demonstrates an ability to use precise language for data reporting, but needs to focus on proofreading to ensure accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'although manhattan's population had also increased... its share of the total fell'. However, there are frequent errors in basic grammar, including capitalization (e.g., 'new youk', 'manhattan'), missing articles, and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'the table illustrate'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on consistent capitalization of proper nouns and ensuring subject-verb agreement in simple sentences.

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