Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-30

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The line graph illustrates the data related to the proportion of people who resided in urban areas of four Asian countries between the year 1970 and 2020, and also contains the predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it is evident that, Malaysia accounted for the highest proportion of population in cities from the year 1970 to 2020 and the prediction also shows growth in the proportion. While, Thailand represented least amount of growth over the span of 50 years.

To begin with, the highest amount of fluctuations were experienced by Philippines, as in the year 1970 the proportion of living individuals in cities was 30% which showed an upward trend with 20% increase in 1990. Moreover, it shows stable increase after 2020. Additionally, Malaysia also started with the mark of 30% and recorded its highest figure in the year 2020 with more than 60% of public living in cities and the future projection of 20 years shows rise with 20%.

Subsequently, Thailand remained relatively stable throughout the period of 30 years and experienced gradual increase. Furthermore, Indonesia represented an upward trend in comparison to Thailand and accounted for (50%) of people living in the cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends and comparing the four countries. However, the data reporting is inconsistent. For instance, you mention Indonesia accounted for 50% of people living in cities, but the graph shows this as a specific point in time rather than a general trend. Additionally, the description of the Philippines' fluctuations is slightly inaccurate, as the graph shows a steady upward trend rather than significant volatility. To improve, ensure that data points are cited precisely and that the distinction between past data and future predictions is clearly maintained throughout the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'Subsequently' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas within the body paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the comparison between Indonesia and Thailand lacks a clear temporal context, making the logical flow slightly disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'fluctuations', 'upward trend', and 'future projection'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'highest amount of fluctuations' is not the most natural phrasing; 'greatest degree of fluctuation' or 'most significant variation' would be better. Similarly, 'living individuals' is slightly awkward; 'urban population' or 'city dwellers' would be more precise. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning but lacks the precision required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'the highest amount of fluctuations were experienced' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('amount' should be 'number' or 'degree', and the verb should match). There are also issues with article usage, such as 'represented least amount of growth' (missing 'the'). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are slightly clunky. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures would help improve this score.

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