Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-14

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 provided line chart illustrates the proportion of the total population in four major Asian countries living in cities between 1970 and 2020 as well as with predictions for 2030 and 2040 future years.

Overall, it is clear that the country of malaysia had the maximum number of population throughout the timeframe, while the nominal proportion of population was recorded for thailand.

Regarding malaysia, the percentage of population living in cities with regards to 30% in the beginning of the period and then it increased sharply over the years with around 80% in upcoming years. For philippines, the population number remained stable for one decade, at 30% and the figure grew steadily to half proportion, and it was showed the fluctuations throughout the period with approximately 55%.

For thailand and indonesia, the proportion of the population were obserevd the same pattern untill 1990, when the percenatge was at around 25% and 20% respectively. After that, the population of indonesia country dominated the highest proportion among other two Asian countries by the end of the period at 60%. After 2020, the population in thailand would increase from 30% to 50% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, outlining trends for the four countries from 1970 through the projected years of 2030 and 2040. The writer attempts to select and report key data points, such as Malaysia starting around 30% and reaching approximately 80%, and Indonesia rising to 60% by the end of the period. However, there are some inaccuracies and vague descriptions in reporting the figures, such as stating 'with regards to 30%' and referring to 'the population number' instead of the proportion of the population. Furthermore, comparisons between the countries are sometimes underdeveloped or slightly confused, placing the response firmly at a Band 6 level for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific countries. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Regarding', and 'After that', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or awkward, like 'with regards to 30%' and 'and it was showed the fluctuations'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate ideas, and the overall progression is generally clear, allowing the reader to follow the main trends and predictions without significant confusion. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate general terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', 'trend', and 'predictions'. However, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent reuse of words like 'population', 'proportion', and 'period'. There are also lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'the country of malaysia had the maximum number of population' (instead of percentage) and 'nominal proportion of population was recorded for thailand' (where 'lowest' or 'smallest' was intended). Spelling is generally accurate, but word choice errors place this firmly at Band 5.5 or 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like 'while the nominal proportion... was recorded' and 'when the percenatge was at around 25%'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as 'as well as with predictions for 2030 and 2040 future years' (redundancy), 'with regards to 30%' (incorrect prepositional phrase), and 'it was showed the fluctuations' (passive voice error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor structural errors prevent the score from reaching a Band 6.5.

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