Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-15
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 provide data on the population of New York City and compare the population of Manhattan with that of the other districts combined between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, the population of New York City increased considerably over the period. In contrast, Manhattan's share of the city's total population decreased gradually, while the proportion accounted for by the other districts rose significantly.
In total, the population of New York City rose dramatically from 79,216 in 1800 to approximately 8 million in 2000. This was accompanied by a substantial increase in the combined population of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, which grew from 60,515 to around 1.5 million over the same period. Meanwhile, the population of Manhattan fluctuated, reaching a peak of 1,850,093 in 1900.
In terms of population share, Manhattan accounted for the largest proportion of New York City's population in 1800, at 76%, compared with just 24% for the other districts combined. However, Manhattan's share steadily declined thereafter, eventually reaching only 19% in 2000. By contrast, the other four districts accounted for 81% of the city's population by the end of the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear summary of the overall trends alongside specific figures for population growth and percentage shifts. The overview correctly highlights the population increase in NYC alongside the declining share of Manhattan compared to the rising share of the other districts. The student selects key features effectively, such as the peak population of Manhattan in 1900 and the dramatic rise in total population. However, there is a minor data error in the third paragraph where the student states the other districts grew 'from 60,515', whereas the table shows the 1800 figure for other districts was 18,701 (60,515 was actually Manhattan's population in 1800). Despite this slight data misinterpretation, the overall task response is well-developed and covers the main features accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The introduction paraphrases the prompt effectively, followed by a concise overview paragraph, and then body paragraphs dedicated to absolute population changes and proportional shifts, respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'By contrast' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data comparisons. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and logically to separate distinct aspects of the visual information.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
The vocabulary used is varied and appropriate for an academic task, demonstrating a good range of functional and topic-specific language. Phrases like 'increased considerably', 'rose dramatically', 'substantial increase', and 'steadily declined' show a solid command of collocation and scale description. While there is a slight numerical confusion in referencing data from the table, the lexical items themselves are handled with precision. The register is appropriately formal throughout.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The writing exhibits a wide range of complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'This was accompanied by a substantial increase...', 'Manhattan accounted for the largest proportion... compared with...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control is strong. Punctuation is accurate, and punctuation errors are virtually absent. The control of complex grammatical forms is consistent and supports clear communication of the data.
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