Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-02

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 tables illustrate the changes of population of New York City and its five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, New York City experienced a significant growth in its population over the years. In terms of districts, Manhattan consisted of the highest percentage of total population compared to other 4 districts in 1800 which later plunged.

In 1800, the population of the New York was 79,216 which later jumped into a mammoth number by 2000, nearly 8,010,000.

Moving to the population of districts, Manhattan dominated the list in 1800 in comparison with the other four districts. Although Manhattan recorded the highest number of population at the beginning, the percentage of the total population plummeted from 76% in 1800 to 19% in 2000.

The other four districts made up 24% of the overall population in 1800 which is nearly 19000. In 1900, it doubled into 46% which experienced further growth in the coming years and accounted for roughly 81% of the total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main trends and provides relevant data points. You successfully identified the overall growth of New York City and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the report is somewhat incomplete as it fails to mention the specific trends for the other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) individually, grouping them together instead. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific comparisons between these districts, as the data provided in the tables allows for a more detailed analysis of their individual growth patterns.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general population trends from the district-specific data. Cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Although', and 'Moving to' help guide the reader through the information. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the connection between the final paragraph and the preceding data could be smoother. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the trends, such as 'plunged', 'jumped', 'mammoth', and 'plummeted'. These words effectively describe the changes in the data. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'consisted of the highest percentage' (which should be 'accounted for the highest percentage') and 'number of population' (which is redundant; 'population' is sufficient). Despite these minor inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'changes of population' (should be 'changes in population') and 'other 4 districts' (should be 'the other four districts'). Additionally, the phrase 'doubled into 46%' is slightly awkward; 'increased to 46%' would be more accurate. While these errors are present, they do not cause confusion or impede the reader's understanding of the data. You demonstrate a reasonable level of control over basic and some complex structures.

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