Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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 first table shows the population of all five districts of New York City in the start of each century from 1800 to 2000. The second table shows the population and percentage increase in Manhattan while the third table shows population and percentage increase of the rest of four districts.

Overall, the population of New York City grew around tenfold over the period. The percentage growth of Manhattan's population decreased, whilst, the percentage growth of all other four districts combined, rose over the time.

In 1800, all five districts of New York City combined had a population of just under eighty thousands which rose steadily to over 8,000,000 in 2000. The district-wise breakdown of population data shows that while the population of all the districts increased, the population growth of Manhattan declined from 76% in 1800 to 19% in 2000.

In contrast, the population of remaining four districts; Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, which was less than one third of Manhattan's population in 1800, grew steadily to approximately 6,500,000 in 2000, with percentage increase rising from 24% to 81% by the end of the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response identifies the main overall pattern: the city’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share increased. It also selects relevant comparisons, including Manhattan’s 76% to 19% change and the other districts’ rise to about 6.5 million. This gives the report a clear overview and supports its key points. However, “grew around tenfold” is an over-generalisation: the total population increased from 79,216 to 8,009,185, which is far more than tenfold. The report also says the population of all districts increased, although Manhattan’s population actually fell between 1900 and 2000. More precise treatment of these absolute figures, alongside the percentage shares, would make the account more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The four-paragraph structure is appropriate: the opening identifies the tables, the overview summarises the broad trends, and the final paragraphs provide supporting details and a contrast. The progression from the city total to Manhattan and then the other districts is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall” and “In contrast” help signal the organisation. Some cohesion is less controlled, however. The overview’s “percentage growth” is not quite the same as the percentage share shown in the tables, and the final paragraph repeats the share trend already mentioned. The semicolon after “districts” also interrupts the sentence’s flow. More precise referencing and a little less repetition would make the connections between comparisons smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The response uses an adequate range for describing data, including “combined,” “district-wise breakdown,” “declined,” and “approximately.” These choices help convey comparisons and change, and the meaning remains clear. Some collocations and word choices are imprecise: “percentage increase” is used for figures that represent each group’s share of the total, while “grew steadily” suggests a continuous trend despite data being provided for only three years. “In the start of each century” is also an awkward expression. These inaccuracies limit precision, even though they do not prevent understanding. Aim for standard chart language and choose verbs that describe only what the data establishes; this would add flexibility and more natural control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a useful mix of simple and complex structures, including the contrast in “while the population … increased” and the relative clause beginning “which was less than one third.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In “whilst, the percentage growth,” the comma after the conjunction is unnecessary; “the remaining four districts; Brooklyn…” uses a semicolon where a colon or commas are needed. The phrase “all five districts … combined had a population … which rose” also leaves the reference of “which” slightly unclear. Check punctuation around introductory and contrasting clauses, and make sure relative pronouns clearly refer to the intended noun. Greater consistency in these details would strengthen accuracy while retaining the sentence variety already attempted.

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