Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-19

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 show the variation in the population of New York city as a whole and its five districts respectively over the period of two centuries (1800 to 2000).

Overall, the population of New York City kept rising dramatically over the years. Although, Manhattan was the most populated district in New York in 1800, it lost its residents over time to other districts.

Manhattan was home to 76% of New Yorkers in 1800 when New York's population was just 79,216. After a century, New York's population shot up to nearly 3.4 Million people but Manhattan's share of it dropped to 54% even though its population increased nearly thrice to that of the year 1800. In the year 2000, when New York resided almost 8 Million people, Manhattan experienced the lowest population share in two decades (19%) and a population drop from the previous given year.

Other districts started off with just 24% of the population share collectively in 1800, but within a decade they nearly became equal to Manhattan's share. In 2000, they gained most of the share of New York's population (81%) with nearly 6 times the total population of Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons across the given tables. The overview clearly highlights the overall upward population trend in New York City and the shift of population away from Manhattan to the other districts over the two-century period. Key data points are accurately cited, such as Manhattan's population share dropping from 76% in 1800 to 19% in 2000, and the combined other districts rising to 81%. Data selection is relevant and well-supported, effectively capturing the essence of the visual data without unnecessary clutter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organised, with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and well-structured body paragraphs focusing on Manhattan and the other districts respectively. Progression is logical and easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'Although', 'After a century', and 'In the year 2000'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct ideas and entities, contributing to a smooth flow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is varied and generally appropriate for an academic task. The student attempts less common lexical items such as 'variation', 'dramatically', 'shot up', and 'experience'. There are minor infelicities in word choice, such as writing 'New York city' instead of 'New York City' and saying 'Manhattan experienced the lowest population share in two decades' (which should be centuries), but these do not impede communication and the range is sufficient to score well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses effectively (e.g., 'Although, Manhattan was the most populated district in New York in 1800, it lost its residents over time to other districts'). The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate. There is a minor comma error after 'Although' and a slight awkwardness in phrasing ('increased nearly thrice to that of the year 1800'), but these errors are infrequent and do not hinder understanding.

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

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