Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-15

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 shows in percentage the population of people living in cities in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia between 1970 to 2020 while predicting what their numbers will be in 2030 and 2040.

Overall, Malaysia recorded the highest population while Thailand had the lowest number of people over the years. It is noteworthy that Malaysia and Indonesia showed an increase in trend when compared to other two countries which kept fluctuating.

Between 1970 and 1980, the population of the Philippines plateaued, slightly above 30% which later rose to 50% in 1990 and dropped to 40% in 2010. From 2020 to 2040, it will maintain a steady increase. This is similar to the population growth in Thailand which climbed steadily from 20% to almost 30% between 1970 to 1990 after which it plateaued till 2020 and will rise to 40% in 2040.

From 1970 to 2020, the people of Indonesia increased steadily in population from somewhere above 10% to 50% and is considered to keep growing to 60% by 2040. On the Same hand, Malaysia grew in Population from 30% to 40% within 1970 and 1980 after which, it rose slowly to about 45% in 1990 and then marked a steady growth to 75% in 2020. It was predicted to climb to 80% by 2040, recording the country with the highest population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four countries. The overview captures the overall trends and extremes accurately, noting that Malaysia recorded the highest figures. However, there are some minor data inaccuracies when reporting specific figures; for example, the text states the Philippines rose to 50% in 1990 (it was actually around 48%) and dropped to 40% in 2010 (it was 42.5%), though these are minor discrepancies rather than fundamental misreadings of the graph. The trends are generally well-selected and supported by data from the visual. Overall, this represents a solid performance meeting the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0, leaning towards a Band 6.5 due to slight inaccuracies in data extraction.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the countries. There is a clear overall progression. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'Between 1970 and 1980', and 'On the Same hand'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph logically grouping the countries (Philippines and Thailand in paragraph three, Indonesia and Malaysia in paragraph four). However, referencing is occasionally a bit vague, such as 'other two countries which kept fluctuating' without explicitly naming them in that clause. Overall cohesion is generally well managed, placing this safely in the Band 7 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, including appropriate reporting terms such as 'plateaued', 'rose steadily', and 'predicted'. There are attempts at less common lexical items and phrasing ('maintain a steady increase', 'population growth'). However, there are some awkward collocations and minor lexical errors, such as 'the people of Indonesia increased steadily in population' (rather than the urbanisation percentage) and 'On the Same hand' (instead of 'On the other hand'). Vocabulary is sufficient to allow clear communication, but inaccuracies prevent it from reaching a higher band score, fitting comfortably at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over tense shifts to handle past data and future predictions (e.g., 'will maintain', 'was predicted to climb'). There are frequent error-free sentences, though a few grammatical slips occur, such as omitting articles or awkward prepositional phrases ('shows in percentage the population'). Punctuation is generally sound. The grammatical range is sufficient to secure a Band 6.5, as the mix of complex structures is handled with reasonable accuracy and errors do not impede communication.

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

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