Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-17

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 6.0)

The line graph compares the percentage of population who are living in different cities of four Asian countries from 1970 to 2020 and, with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, all the countries followed an upward trend of population living in in different cities from 1970 to 2040. It is also predicted that the percentage of population will be highest in Malaysia, while the figure for population in Thailand will be least.

From 1970 to 2020, the proportion of population rose significantly from 30% to just over 70%, which was the highest figure over the five decades. Similarly, the figure for population in Philippines increased to approximately 50%, while Thailand recorded almost 30% of total poluation, in 2020, which was the lowest figure over the period.

From 2020 to 2040, it is predicted that Malaysia will record almost 80% of total population in 2040, which will be higher than in the other countries. By contrast, Thailand will recieve a total of almost 45% of population in 2040, which will be the lowest figure. Meanwhile, the percentage of population in Philippines will be less than 50%, while the figure for population in Indonesia will be almsot 60% of total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons. You have successfully highlighted the upward trajectory for all countries and identified the highest and lowest performers. However, the report lacks precision in the first body paragraph; you mention 'the proportion of population' without specifying which country you are referring to, which creates ambiguity. Additionally, while you mention four countries in the introduction, the data for Indonesia is only introduced in the final sentence. To reach a higher band, ensure that every data point mentioned is clearly linked to the specific country it represents throughout the entire essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the historical period to the future predictions. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Similarly', 'By contrast', and 'Meanwhile'. However, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, in the third paragraph, you refer to 'the proportion of population' without naming the country, forcing the reader to infer the subject. Improving the clarity of these references and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall flow and coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trend', 'proportion', and 'recorded'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'poluation' and 'almsot', and some awkward phrasing like 'the figure for population in Thailand will be least'. To improve, try to vary your verbs and nouns to avoid repetition of 'figure' and 'population'. Using more precise collocations, such as 'urbanization rate' instead of 'percentage of population living in cities', would also elevate your lexical score and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'living in in different cities' (repetition) and 'Thailand will recieve a total of almost 45% of population' (incorrect preposition/article usage). Punctuation is generally handled well, but there are occasional errors in sentence construction that slightly disrupt the flow. To achieve a higher band, focus on eliminating these small errors and increasing the variety of complex structures, such as using more relative clauses or passive constructions to describe the data trends more fluidly.

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