Cambridge IELTS 20 Test 1 Writing Task 1: New York Population
Cambridge IELTS 20 · Test 1 · Academic Writing Task 1Table
The three tables show the population of New York City in 1800, 1900 and 2000. The first gives the total for all five districts, while the second and third give the number of residents in Manhattan and in the other four districts combined (Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island), both as raw figures and as a percentage of the city's total population.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. 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. Write at least 150 words.
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Key features to report
- The city's total population grew dramatically, from 79,216 in 1800 to 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 in 2000, roughly a hundredfold increase over two centuries.
- The distribution of the population was reversed: Manhattan held 76% of residents in 1800, but only 54% in 1900 and just 19% in 2000, while the other districts rose from 24% to 46% and then 81%.
- Manhattan's population rose sharply from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900, but then fell to 1,538,096 in 2000, making it the only figure in the tables that declines.
- The other four districts grew continuously and spectacularly, from just 18,701 people in 1800 to 1,587,109 in 1900 and 6,471,089 in 2000, roughly quadrupling in the twentieth century alone.
- 1900 is the turning point: the two areas were almost equal in size (54% and 46%), and by 2000 the outer districts were home to more than four times as many people as Manhattan.
- The percentage columns are the clearest way to show the shift; quoting a few rounded raw figures (about 1.85 million, nearly 6.5 million) is more effective than copying every exact number.
Model overview
Overall, New York's population increased enormously between 1800 and 2000. At the same time, the balance between the districts was reversed: Manhattan, which housed most of the city's residents in 1800, accounted for only a small minority by 2000, as growth shifted to the four outer districts.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the task in one sentence: the tables compare the population of New York City as a whole with that of Manhattan and of the other four districts in 1800, 1900 and 2000.
- 2
Overview
Give the two main features without figures: the total population grew enormously, and the share living in Manhattan fell from a large majority to a small minority as the outer districts took over.
- 3
Body paragraph 1: 1800 to 1900
Give the 1800 total (just over 79,000) and Manhattan's 76% share, then the 1900 total of over 3.4 million. Show Manhattan rising to about 1.85 million but its share falling to 54%, while the other districts jumped from under 19,000 to almost 1.6 million (46%).
- 4
Body paragraph 2: 1900 to 2000
Report that the total more than doubled to just over 8 million, but Manhattan shrank to about 1.54 million (19%), the only decline in the data. Contrast this with the outer districts, which roughly quadrupled to nearly 6.5 million, or 81% of the city.
Useful comparisons
- Organise the body by time (1800-1900, then 1900-2000), because the shift in the population balance happens in two clear stages.
- Contrast Manhattan's falling share (76%, 54%, 19%) with the outer districts' rising share (24%, 46%, 81%); the two always add up to 100%.
- Highlight that Manhattan's population fell between 1900 and 2000 even though the city as a whole more than doubled.
- Compare the scale of growth: the city grew about a hundredfold over 200 years, while the outer districts grew more than 300 times over.
- Point out that the two areas were roughly balanced in 1900, which makes it a useful midpoint for comparison.
- Round the large numbers (just over 79,000, more than 3.4 million, roughly 8 million) to keep the description readable.
Band 8+ model answer
194 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
The three tables compare the population of New York City as a whole with that of Manhattan and of its four other districts (Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) in 1800, 1900 and 2000.
Overall, the city's population grew enormously over these two centuries. The most striking change, however, was in its distribution: Manhattan, which was home to the great majority of residents in 1800, accounted for only a small minority by 2000, as growth shifted to the outer districts.
In 1800, New York had just over 79,000 inhabitants, around three quarters of whom lived in Manhattan. By 1900, the total had soared to more than 3.4 million. Manhattan's population had risen to about 1.85 million, but its share had dropped to 54%, while the other districts had expanded from fewer than 19,000 people to almost 1.6 million, or 46% of the total.
This pattern intensified during the twentieth century. The city's population more than doubled to roughly 8 million in 2000, yet Manhattan actually shrank to around 1.54 million, just 19% of the total. By contrast, the outer districts roughly quadrupled to nearly 6.5 million residents, representing 81% of all New Yorkers.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Achievement
- The answer gives a clear overview of the overall growth and the reversal in the population balance, and supports each key feature with accurate, rounded figures from all three tables, including Manhattan's decline after 1900.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- The body is organised chronologically into two clear stages, and linking such as by 1900, yet, by contrast and this pattern guides the reader through the comparisons.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise vocabulary such as inhabitants, accounted for, soared, quadrupled and a small minority avoids repeating population and percentage, and the outer districts is used as a concise reference.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The answer uses past perfect forms for change up to 1900, relative and participle clauses, and comparative structures accurately, with numbers and percentages integrated smoothly into sentences.
Useful vocabulary
- inhabitants
- the people who live in a place; a synonym for population or residents
- the outer districts
- a useful way to refer to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island together
- account for
- make up a particular part or percentage of a total
- share
- the part of a total that belongs to one group, used to paraphrase percentage
- a hundredfold increase
- a rise to about one hundred times the original figure
- quadruple
- become four times as large
- more than double
- become over twice as large
- soar
- rise very quickly to a high level
- shrink
- become smaller in number or size
- the great majority
- most of a group, much more than half
- a small minority
- a small part of a group, much less than half
- the balance shifted
- the distribution between two groups changed so that the other one became larger
- be home to
- be the place where a number of people live
Common mistakes
- Describing the three tables separately, one paragraph each, instead of comparing Manhattan with the other districts at each date.
- Missing the fact that Manhattan's population fell between 1900 and 2000, which is the only decrease in the tables and a key feature.
- Confusing numbers with percentages, for example writing that Manhattan's population fell from 76% in 1800, as if the number of people had decreased, when its population actually rose until 1900.
- Copying every exact figure such as 1,587,109 and 6,471,089 without rounding, which makes the answer hard to read and leaves no room for comparison.
- Writing about the four outer districts individually, although the table gives only their combined total.
- Leaving out an overview that states both the overall growth and the reversal in the balance between Manhattan and the rest of the city.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- These tables about the population of New York City and its five districts between 1800 and 2000 are Writing Task 1 of Test 1 in Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic.
- Should I write about Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island separately?
- No. The third table gives only one combined figure for these four districts, so treat them as a single group, for example the other districts or the outer districts.
- Do I need to copy the exact population numbers?
- No. Rounded figures such as just over 79,000 or nearly 6.5 million are clearer and fully acceptable, and the percentages show the main change more effectively.
- How many words should I write for this Task 1?
- Write at least 150 words; around 170-200 words is enough to give an overview and compare the key figures in about 20 minutes.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.