Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The line graph provides data on the proportion of the population in four Asian nations residing in metropolises in the year 1970 till the year 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Generally, the four nations show a rise in the number of people living in cities although not all countries experienced a consistent increase.

Indonesia began with the lowest percentage of about 15%, but the number of people in the cities rose at a fairly stable rate till it had a proportion greater than Thailand and the Philippines, who only had 30% and 45% in 2020, with almost 50% and it is predicted to continue till it attains 60% in 2040. However, Malaysia had a much faster increase from 1990 compared to the other cities, rising from 45% in 1990 to an anticipated 80% in 2040.

On the other hand, the Philippines and Thailand had more irregular increase throughout the period. The Philippines started off with slightly above 30% in 1970 making it the highest but remained fairly unchanged until 1980 before spiking to almost 50% in 1990 then dropping back to 40% in 2010. Although Thailand steadily increased from 1970 to 1990 it barely changed until 2020. Yet both countries are expected to increase steadily after 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response covers all parts of the task, identifying the main trends and comparing the four countries effectively. You successfully highlighted the overall growth in urban population and identified key features such as Malaysia's rapid growth and the fluctuations in the Philippines. However, the description of the data is occasionally imprecise; for instance, stating Indonesia had a proportion 'greater than Thailand and the Philippines' while citing specific percentages for the latter two is slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are explicitly linked to the data points provided in the graph to avoid ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a logical progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'On the other hand', and 'Although' to connect sentences and ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends observed. While the flow is generally good, some transitions between sentences could be smoother to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'proportion', 'residing', 'metropolises', and 'anticipated'. There is some awareness of style, though some word choices could be more precise. For example, referring to countries as 'cities' in the phrase 'compared to the other cities' is inaccurate, as you are comparing nations. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and adverbs (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'sharply', 'gradually') would further enhance the precision of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses with 'although' and 'while'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'in the year 1970 till the year 2020' (which should be 'from 1970 to 2020') and 'irregular increase' (which should be 'irregular increases'). Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the errors do not impede communication. To improve, focus on consistent tense usage and preposition accuracy when describing time periods.

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