Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Asian countries from 1970 to 2020, with predictions up to 2040.

Overall, all the countries witnessed an upward trajectory throughout the period. In addition, Malaysia is predicted to finish as the highest, whereas Thailand will end the period as the lowest.

In more detail, the figure for Malaysia increased gradually from nearly 30% to 46% between 1970 and 1990 before peaking at just above 80 by the end of the period. Regarding the Philippines, the figure climbed steadily from just above 30% to approximately 50%, before decreasing slightly to around 45% in 2010. It then increased gradually, reaching approximately 55% by the end of the period.

Turning to the remaining nations, the figure for Thailand rose marginally from just below 20% to around 30% before remaining stable at around 30% for the next 10 years, before surging to 50% between 2000 and 2040. As for Indonesia, the proportion soared moderately from around 13% to approximately 65% between 1970 and 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the given countries and years. An appropriate overview is provided, highlighting the general upward trajectory and identifying the starting and ending positions of Malaysia and Thailand respectively. Key data points are selected and reported accurately, such as Malaysia's rise to over 80% and the Philippines' fluctuation. However, there is a minor omission in the introduction where the first sentence lacks a main verb and fails to fully introduce the graph context, representing a slight slip in fully conveying the task prompt. Nonetheless, all four countries are addressed and key trends are well-supported with data, placing this firmly in Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response exhibits clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped logically into an introduction, an overview, and two detailed body paragraphs focusing on specific countries. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'In more detail', 'Regarding', and 'Turning to' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the general overview from specific details. Referencing is generally clear, though the excessive use of the word 'before' within single sentences in the fourth paragraph creates a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the structural flow is logical and easy to follow, satisfying the requirements for Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate and sufficiently varied range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'upward trajectory', 'peaking', 'climbed steadily', 'surging', and 'proportion'. There is some awareness of style and collocation suitable for Academic Task 1. However, there are minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as stating that Malaysia will 'finish as the highest' rather than 'reach the highest proportion', and a missing unit error when describing Malaysia's peak as 'just above 80' instead of '80%'. These occasional errors in word choice prevent the response from achieving a higher band, but the vocabulary is fully sufficient to communicate the data clearly, aligning well with Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and prepositional phrases effectively (e.g., 'Malaysia is predicted to finish as the highest, whereas Thailand will end the period as the lowest'). There is good control of tense usage across past data and future predictions. However, grammatical inaccuracies do occur, most notably in the incomplete opening fragment ('Asian countries from 1970 to 2020...') which lacks a predicate verb. Additionally, the final sentence of the third paragraph contains a run-on structure linked by multiple time connectors ('before... before... before...'). Despite these errors, communication is never impeded, and there are many error-free sentences, justifying a Band 6.5 score.

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