Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-25

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 graph illustrates data about the proportion of the population in four Asian countries, namely Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia living in cities between 1970 and 2040.

Overall, it is evident that the population of Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia experienced an upward trends, while the population of Philippines fluctuated. In addition, the population of Malaysia was the highest over the time of 70 years.

After analysing the graph in detail, it is clear that the population of Malaysia had the percentage of 30% in 1970. This figure increased to 40% in 1980, then experienced a sharp surge to 70% in 2010, then reached almost 80% in 2040. Meanwhile, Malaysia had the percentage just above 10% in 1970, this rose to approximately 28% in 2000, before further increasing to 60% in the end of period.

In contrast, Thailand accounted for the percentage of just below 20% in 1970, this increased to nearly 30% in 1990, then remained stable until 2020, and surged to almost 50% in 2040. While, Philippines accounted for just below 30 % in 1970. This figure rose to just below 50% in 1990 before decreasing to just above 40 % in 2010, then increased sharply to above 50% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview of the main trends and selecting key data points to report. However, there are some noticeable data confusion errors in the body paragraphs. For instance, the student states that 'Meanwhile, Malaysia had the percentage just above 10% in 1970', when referring to Indonesia (as Malaysia's 1970 figure was already mentioned as 30%). Similarly, the overview contains a minor slip, stating the population of Malaysia was the highest when Indonesia was actually the highest in 1970. Despite these minor data attribution slips, the response effectively reports the main features and comparisons, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.5 or 7.0, though the inaccuracies pull the score to a solid 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is generally well-organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different countries and comparisons. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'After analysing the graph in detail', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast'. However, referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with the mix-up of country names in the second body paragraph ('Meanwhile, Malaysia had the percentage just above 10%...'), which disrupts the logical flow slightly. Overall progression is visible, but the cohesion becomes somewhat mechanical and flawed due to these tracking errors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'proportion of the population', 'upward trends', 'sharp surge', and 'remained stable'. There are, however, some inappropriate word choices and minor inaccuracies, such as 'experienced an upward trends' (plural noun error) and repeating sentence structures. Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features of the graph clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses ('While, Philippines accounted for...'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, such as missing articles ('the Philippines' instead of 'Philippines'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the population of Philippines fluctuated' - populations/percentages), and incorrect comma splices ('This figure increased to 40% in 1980, then experienced...'). However, these errors rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the intended data points easily.

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