Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The tables show the census data about how the New York City population grew over the centuries from 1800 to 2000 and the population breakdown of Manhattan and other districts(Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island).

Overall, the New York City population grew very substantially over the period of [redacted phone]. It was initially concentrated in the Manhattan district and then expanded into other districts.

The total city population including all five districts was 79,216 in 1800. Then it steadily grew to 3,437,202 in 1900 and eventually reached around 8 million by 2000.

Manhattan consisted of the major portion of the city compared to other districts in 1800 by having three-fourths of the total population at that time. In the next one century, the substantial population growth across New York led to roughly equal population in Manhattan and Other districts; 1,850,093 in Manhattan and 1,587,109 in other districts. But surprisingly in next century, Manhattan population significantly fell to 19% of total population, while the city kept expanding in other districts, having 6,471,089, 81% of population living outside Manhattan district.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The candidate has successfully addressed all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its five districts between 1800 and 2000. An appropriate and clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the overall substantial growth and the shift in population concentration from Manhattan to the other districts. Key data points, such as the total population figures and the shifting percentages between Manhattan and the other districts (e.g., 76% in 1800 down to 19% in 2000), are accurately selected, reported, and compared. The response is fully supported by the provided data without any notable omissions or inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is coherently structured, starting with an introductory overview, followed by the overall city population trends, and concluding with a detailed comparison of Manhattan versus the other districts. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas and themes. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Then', 'Eventually', and 'while' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, although minor mechanical transitions could occasionally be smoother. Overall, the message flows logically from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suited to an Academic Task 1 response. Less common lexical items and phrases are used effectively, such as 'census data', 'substantially concentrated', 'population breakdown', and 'significantly fell'. Word choice and collocation are generally accurate, although there are a few minor infelicities, such as 'consisted of the major portion' instead of 'constituted the major portion' or 'accounted for the majority'. Spelling and word formation remain accurate throughout, allowing the message to be communicated with precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over grammatical structures. The candidate successfully employs relative clauses, participial phrases ('by having three-fourths'), and time clauses ('as the city kept expanding'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical errors are rare and non-systematic—for example, the slight awkwardness in 'in next century' (missing article). Punctuation is generally well managed, and errors do not impede communication at any point, reflecting a solid Band 7 level of control.

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