Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-29

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 percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with forecast for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the percentages of the population of all four Asian countries (Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia) living in cities increased over the period and are expected to rise in the next 20 years.

In 1970, Philippines had the highest percentage, at around 32%. The percentage climbed to almost 50% in 1990, however, it experienced a decline to around 42% in 2010 and rose to 45% in 2020. The percentage is expected to increase to more than 50% in 2040. Malaysia recorded 30% of the total population lived in cities in 1970. It increased to 45% 1990 and dramatically rose to around 75% in 2020. It is forecasted to increase to approximately 80% in 2040, making it the country that has the highest percentage of the total population living in cities.

Thailand on the other hand only had less than 20% in 1970. It climbed to around 30% in 1990 and remained slightly stable until 2020 at approximately 32%. It is predicted to rapidly climbed to almost 50% in 2040. Indonesia had the lowest percentage among the four countries at only around 12% in 1970. It consistently climbed to approximately 17% in 2000 before in rapidly rose to 50% in 2020. Same with the other countries, it is also expected to climb to almost 60% in 2040, making it the country with the second highest percentage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends and provided relevant data points to support your descriptions. The overview is clear and highlights the general upward trend across all countries. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, the description of the Philippines' decline between 1990 and 2010 is a good observation, but ensure your comparisons between countries are more explicit. You have successfully selected and reported the main features, making the information easy to follow.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific countries. Cohesive devices such as 'on the other hand', 'however', and 'in addition' (or similar transitions) are used to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the data. While the flow is generally good, some transitions between sentences could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'forecasted', 'dramatically', and 'consistently'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'remained slightly stable' (which is contradictory) and 'in rapidly rose' (a grammatical error affecting lexical flow). To improve, try to use more precise collocations when describing trends, such as 'experienced a period of stability' instead of 'remained slightly stable'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'forecast for 2030' (should be 'forecasts'), 'It is predicted to rapidly climbed' (should be 'climb'), and 'before in rapidly rose' (should be 'before it rapidly rose'). These errors are frequent but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on verb tense consistency and ensuring that infinitives follow 'to' correctly. Increasing the variety of complex structures while reducing these minor errors will help you achieve a higher score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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