Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The tables illustrate changes in the population of New York City and its five districts between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the city’s population grew dramatically, while Manhattan’s share declined as other districts expanded over the period.

Initially In 1800, New York City had a population of just under 80,000, with Manhattan accounting for the majority (76%). By 1900, the total population had surged to over 3.4 million, and although Manhattan’s population rose sharply to 1.85 million, its proportion fell to 54%. Meanwhile, the other districts collectively grew to 1.59 million, representing nearly half of the city’s residents.

Probing further towards by 2000, New York City’s population exceeded 8 million. Manhattan’s numbers dropped slightly to 1.54 million, making up only 19% of the total, whereas the other districts expanded rapidly to over 6.47 million (81%). This shows a clear shift of population growth from Manhattan to the outer boroughs over two centuries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully satisfies the requirements of Task 1 by selecting and reporting all the main features from the data tables. You successfully provided an overview highlighting the growth of the overall city population and the declining share of Manhattan compared to the outer districts. Figures are accurately cited, such as the initial 1800 population of under 80,000, the 1900 surge to over 3.4 million, and the final 2000 figure exceeding 8 million. Comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) are drawn clearly and effectively throughout the response, meeting all Band 8 criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Your essay is logically structured with a clear progression from introduction to overview, body paragraph one (1800-1900), and body paragraph two (2000). Information and ideas are coherently linked using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile' and 'whereas'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate distinct periods and comparisons. Cohesion is well managed overall, though there are minor awkward transitions in sentence openings like 'Initially In 1800' and 'Probing further towards by 2000', which slightly disrupt the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have demonstrated a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to an academic report. Words and phrases like 'dramatically', 'accounting for', 'surged', and 'proportion' are used effectively. There is good use of less common items such as 'boroughs' and 'collectively'. However, some minor lexical clumsiness appears in phrases like 'Probing further towards by 2000', which contains redundant prepositional stacking. Overall, the vocabulary is varied and precise enough to allow smooth communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses such as 'while Manhattan’s share declined as other districts expanded'. Grammatical control is generally strong with many error-free sentences. However, there are a couple of mechanical and phrasing slips, specifically the awkward collocation and punctuation collision in 'Initially In 1800,' and the redundant prepositional combination in 'towards by 2000'. These occasional errors do not impede communication, supporting a solid Band 7 rating.

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