Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-22

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 given line graph compares the populaton in portions of the four Asian countries named Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia of those living in cities between the years of 1970 and 2020. Furthermore, the graph also presents predictions for the coming years of 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it can be noted from the graph that the overall population will increase by 2040 in all cities of these various countries. The most populated cities will be that of Malaysia. while the number of growth is almost steady in Malaysia and Indonesia, fluctuations can seen in the cases of Thailand and Philippines.

The densly populated cities will be of Malaysia where the initial populations were around 30% but will surge to about 80% in 20240, recording to be the highest percentage in comparison to the rest of the countries. A striking flucuation can be observed in the case of Philippines while a mild one in Thailand. The population in the Indonesian cities were around 15% in 1970 but experienced a steady increase till 2020 and is expected to be continued in the same way till 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the chart, including overall growth across all four countries and specific country details. However, there are some inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, the text states 'The most populated cities will be that of Malaysia' rather than the percentage of the population living in cities, and there is a typo with the year '20240'. Furthermore, the description of fluctuations for the Philippines and Thailand is somewhat vague and lacks specific supporting data points from the chart. While an overview is present, the development of main features is occasionally imprecise, placing this response in Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is structured into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'Overall', and 'while'. However, paragraphing is somewhat under-utilized, with the second body paragraph crammed together with too many separate country details. Logical progression is occasionally disrupted by phrasing that lacks clarity, such as 'the number of growth is almost steady'. Overall, the organization is coherent enough to follow, but cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, justifying a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases like 'densely populated', 'surge', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text, such as 'populaton in portions of the four Asian countries', 'number of growth', and 'recording to be the highest percentage'. Spelling errors also occur, such as 'densly' and 'flucuation'. These errors do not seriously impede communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and introductory dependent clauses (e.g., 'while the initial populations were around 30%...'). However, grammatical errors are fairly frequent, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'The most populated cities will be that of Malaysia. while the number of growth...' and awkward prepositions or passive constructions like 'fluctuations can seen in the cases of Thailand'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but errors in grammar occasionally require the reader to re-read. This aligns with Band 5.5 to 6.0; given the mix of structures, a Band 6.0 is awarded.

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