Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-20

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 7.5)

tables illustrate changes in the population of New York City as a whole and the distribution of its population between Manhattan and the other four districts from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, New York City experienced a dramatic increase in population over the period. However, the proportion of people living in Manhattan declined considerably, while the other four districts accounted for an increasingly large share of the city’s population.

In 1800, New York City had a total population of 79,216, of whom 60,515 (76%) lived in Manhattan. The remaining 18,701 people (24%) were distributed among Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. By 1900, the city’s population had risen sharply to 3,437,202. Manhattan’s population also increased substantially, reaching 1,850,093, although its share of the total fell to 54%. Meanwhile, the other districts contained 1,587,109 people, representing 46% of the city’s population.

By 2000, the total population of New York City had reached 8,009,185. In contrast to the earlier period, Manhattan’s population had decreased to 1,538,096, and its proportion had dropped dramatically to just 19%. During the same year, the population of the other four districts had grown to 6,471,089, accounting for 81% of the total.

Thus, while New York City’s population increased enormously overall, population growth was increasingly concentrated outside Manhattan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear and comprehensive summary of the provided tables. The response successfully reports the main features, such as the overall population growth of New York City from 1800 to 2000, and makes relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other four districts in terms of population figures and percentages. All figures cited, such as 79,216 in 1800 and 8,009,185 in 2000, are accurately derived from the source data. An effective overview is present in the second paragraph, highlighting the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the rest of the city. The response is fully developed and well-grounded in the visual data, satisfying the requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The text is logically organized with a clear overall progression from the introduction and overview to specific body paragraphs detailing chronological changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different periods and thematic focuses. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1800', 'By 1900', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast to' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data without being obtrusive. However, the introduction lacks a starting capital letter, which is a minor mechanical slip, but overall the logical sequencing and referencing are well-managed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task. Phrases like 'dramatic increase', 'proportion of people', 'accounted for an increasingly large share', and 'population growth was increasingly concentrated' show a good command of vocabulary related to data analysis. Less common lexical items are used with general awareness of collocation and style, although there are minor issues such as starting the very first sentence with a lowercase letter ('tables illustrate...'). Nevertheless, the vocabulary is precise enough to convey the information smoothly and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response exhibits a good variety of complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'of whom 60,515 lived in Manhattan', 'representing 46% of the city’s population'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and control over grammar and tense usage (past simple and past perfect) is strong. There are very few errors, though the omission of a capital letter at the beginning of the text is a minor slip. Complex structures are handled with good control and do not impede communication.

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