Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-18

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 provided tables illustrate the changes in the total population of New York city, one showing changes in the total population of the city and others showing changes in the population of a Manhattan and remaining districts separately from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, it is evident that the total population of the city increases along with the increase in the percentage of citizens in the four districts. However, the proportion of the total population of Manhattan declined over the period.

Looking first at the number of people in all five districts, there were only 79,216 citizens in 1800 before reaching 8,009,185 in 2000. Additionally, there were significant increase in the percentage of citizens who lived in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. In 1800, the ratio of population accounted for 24%, while it almost doubled in 1900 reaching 46%. The figure stood at 81% in 2000, reaching 6,471,089 people.

Turning to the population of Manhattan, the figure accounted for 76% in 1800 before declining significantly over the period. It dropped at 54% in 1900 and less than one-fifth in 2000, reaching only 1,538,096 citizens in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features from the tables, including overall population growth and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other four districts. The overview is clear and accurately highlights the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. Data is cited accurately, such as the total population growing from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, and Manhattan's percentage dropping from 76% to 19%. Key comparisons are made effectively throughout the response, satisfying all requirements of Task Achievement at a high level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs focusing on overall trends/other districts and Manhattan respectively. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'Looking first at', 'Additionally', and 'Turning to the population of'. Paragraphing is well-managed, contributing to a smooth progression of ideas from start to finish. Referencing is clear and effective.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Less common items such as 'proportion', 'ratio', and 'declining significantly' are employed with reasonable success. However, there are a few minor lexical or phrasing awkwardnesses, such as 'there were significant increase' (plural agreement error) and 'It dropped at 54%' (preposition choice). Overall, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the message clearly with some flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses ('while it almost doubled in 1900 reaching 46%'). Grammatical control is generally good, but there are a few noticeable errors, such as 'New York city' (capitalization slip), 'others showing' instead of 'another showing', and the subject-verb agreement slip 'there were significant increase'. Punctuation is generally sound, and these errors do not impede communication.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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