Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The Table illustrates changes in population of new york city between 1800 and 2000, Including the total population and the figures for Manhattan compared with the other four districts.

Overall the total population of New York has increased dramatically over this period. Manhattan is the district with the lowest percentage of the population growth whereas all the other district are dominant over this period of time.

In 1800, New poupulation was 79,216 and in 1900 it became 3,437,202 and in 2000 it was 8,009,185 this shows that the population of new york has increased significantly over this period of time. Manthann Grew form 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 which was it's peak in 1900 and in 2000 it decreased to 1,538,096 it's percentage also decreased steadily from 76% to 54% and finally to 19%.

By contrast, the combined population of Brooklyn, Bornx, Queens and Staten Island increased just from 18,701 which is 24% in 1800 to 1,587,109 which is aproximately 46% in 1900 and then to 6,471,089 which is 81% of the citys population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers the main features of the data, including the total population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. You successfully identified the key trends, such as Manhattan's peak in 1900 and the subsequent decline in its percentage share. However, the analysis could be improved by more clearly contrasting the specific growth patterns of the individual districts rather than grouping them all together as a single block. While the main features are reported, the comparison between the districts could be more nuanced to fully meet the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear. You use some cohesive devices like 'In 1800', 'By contrast', and 'finally to', which help the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with paragraph structure and referencing. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother to enhance the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatically', 'significantly', and 'percentage'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'poupulation', 'Manthann', 'Bornx', and 'aproximately', which are distracting. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more varied reporting verbs and avoiding repetitive phrasing when describing trends and data points.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including issues with capitalization ('new york city', 'Manhattan'), subject-verb agreement ('all the other district are'), and punctuation ('it's' used incorrectly for possessive 'its'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the information, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of the writing. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences and proofreading for basic mechanical errors would significantly improve your score.

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