Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-22
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 8.5)
The three tables present demographic data for New York City as a whole and compare Manhattan against the other four districts combined from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, New York City experienced massive population growth across the two-century period. However, a major internal shift occurred: while Manhattan originally contained the vast majority of residents, its relative dominance fell dramatically over time as the remaining four districts grew to absorb most of the city’s total population.
Regarding overall growth, New York City's total population surged more than a hundredfold, expanding from 79,216 in 1800 to over 3.4 million in 1900, before reaching 8,009,185 by 2000.
In terms of district distribution, Manhattan held a commanding 76% share of the population in 1800 with 60,515 residents. Although its population continued rising to 1,850,093 by 1900, its relative proportion dropped to 54%. By 2000, Manhattan’s population shrank to 1,538,096, reducing its share to just 19%. Conversely, the combined population of the remaining four districts expanded rapidly from 18,701 (24%) in 1800 to 1,587,109 (46%) in 1900, before skyrocketing to 6,471,089, accounting for an overwhelming 81% of the total by 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 8.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.5 |
| Overall | 8.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5
The student has fully addressed all parts of the task by accurately summarising the main features of the tables provided. A clear overview is given in the second paragraph, highlighting both the overall population surge and the significant internal demographic shift between Manhattan and the other four districts. Key data points, such as the total figures for 1800, 1900, and 2000, along with the percentage distributions, are correctly cited and compared. The information is entirely grounded in the provided visual data, with no invented statistics or misinterpretations. This fulfills all requirements of the Band 9 descriptor for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5
The essay is logically organised with a clear progression from a general introduction and overview to specific body paragraphs detailing overall growth and district-level distribution. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', 'Regarding', and 'Conversely' are used naturally and effectively without being obtrusive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct thematic components of the data. Referencing is clear throughout, making the relationships between the figures easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 8.5
The response demonstrates a wide and flexible lexical resource suited to an academic report. The writer successfully employs varied vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'massive population growth', 'relative dominance fell dramatically', 'surged more than a hundredfold', and 'skyrocketing'. Collocations are natural and appropriate (e.g., 'demographic data', 'relative proportion', 'combined population'). There are no spelling or word-choice errors, reflecting a high level of control over precise academic terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5
The student exhibits full flexibility and control across a wide range of sentence structures. Complex sentences with subordinate clauses are used effortlessly (e.g., 'while Manhattan originally contained the vast majority of residents, its relative dominance fell dramatically over time as the remaining four districts grew...'). The grammar and punctuation are entirely accurate throughout the response, featuring no errors whatsoever. This fully justifies the top band score for grammatical range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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