Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-23
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 line graph shows the percentage of people living in cities in four Asian countries - Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia - between 1970 and 2040.
Overall, the urban population in all four countries increased. Malaysia had the highest growth and will have the highest percentage in 2040, while Thailand will have the lowest.
In 1970, Philippines had the highest urban population at about 32%, followed by Malaysia at 30%. Thailand and Indonesia had lower percentages, around 19% and 14%. In 1990, Philippines and Malaysia were almost same at around 45%, while Indonesia rose to 24%.
From 2000 to 2040, Malaysia grew very fast from 60% to over 83%. Indonesia also increased sharply from 30% to 64%. Thailand and Philippines grew slowly. In 2040, Malaysia will be highest at 83%, followed by Indonesia at 64%, Philippines at 56% and Thailand at 50%.
In conclusion when the percentage of people living
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student covers all four countries and provides a clear overview of the main trends shown in the graph. Key features, such as Malaysia's dramatic growth and the ranking of countries at the start and end periods, are successfully reported. However, the response trails off abruptly at the very end ('In conclusion when the percentage of people living'), leaving the final sentence unfinished. Despite this minor truncation, the core data points are accurately cited and the task is adequately fulfilled.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is structured into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, moving to an overview, and then detailing specific time periods. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1970', and 'From 2000 to 2040' help to sequence the information clearly. However, the abrupt cutoff at the end negatively impacts the overall cohesion and leaves the concluding section incomplete. Paragraphing is otherwise used appropriately.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, incorporating terms like 'percentage', 'urban population', 'growth', and 'predictions'. There are attempts to describe trends using words such as 'sharply', 'fast', and 'slowly'. Some phrasing is repetitive, and the unfinished conclusion prevents the display of a wider lexical range, but the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main features clearly without causing confusion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Malaysia had the highest growth and will have the highest percentage in 2040, while Thailand will have the lowest.' Grammatical control is generally good, with accurate use of past and future tenses to describe historical data and predictions. Although there is a minor omission of an article in 'Philippines had the highest', these errors do not impede communication. The unfinished sentence at the end does not heavily penalise grammar overall.
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