Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-29

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 multi-line graph tracks the percentage of the population living in a city of four Asian countries- Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia- from 1970 to 2020 and forecast the percentage till 2040.

Overall, a rise is seen in percentage of population living in cities in all four countries. The greatest rise is seen in Malaysia and the least is seen in Thailand.

In 1970, about 30% of Malaysia total population lived in cities and those number steadily rose to 45% till 1990 . After 1990, it retained its position as the most urbanized country by overcoming Philippines, the numer striked and reached to 76% by 2020. The percentage is expected to reach 83% by 2040. Similar trend can be seen with Indonesia, it was the least urbanized country in 1970 and accounted for only 14%. It gradually rose till 2020, reaching at 50%. It became the second most urbanized country by replacing both Philippines and Thailand by 2010. Additionally, the percentage is anticipated to reach 60% by 2040.

Philippines, the most urbanized country in 1970 at 32%, showed slight fluctuations. After reaching a peak at 48%, in 1990 fell to 40% by 2010. A steady rise was seen till 2020. By 2040, predicted numbers are at 60%. Ultimately, Thailand which was third largest in 1970 at 19%. It rose steadily till 1990 and stabilised at 32% till 2020 with a prediction of 48% by 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main features and trends of the four countries. The response accurately highlights Malaysia's significant growth to become the most urbanized nation and Indonesia's notable upward trajectory. However, there are minor inaccuracies in the reported data, such as stating Philippines reached a peak of 48% in 1990 and fell to 40% by 2010 (the graph shows 42.5%), and minor imprecisions in the starting figures. Despite these minor data discrepancies, the key comparisons and overall trends are well-covered, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression and is logically organised into paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing the countries. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'After 1990', and 'Additionally'. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, for instance in phrases like 'the numer striked and reached to 76%' and 'Ultimately, Thailand which was third largest'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different groups of countries, but transitions between sentences could flow more smoothly to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'urbanized', 'fluctuations', 'stabilised', and 'anticipated'. There are, however, some awkward word choices and lexical slips, such as 'numer striked' instead of 'number surged' or 'figure rose', and minor prepositional issues like 'accounted for only at'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the occasional imprecise collocation prevents the response from achieving a higher band. A sufficient range is deployed to allow some precision, aligning with Band 6.5 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and predictive structures (e.g., 'The percentage is expected to reach...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies, missing plural markers ('Malaysia total population'), and incorrect verb forms ('forecast the percentage' instead of 'forecasts'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to typify a Band 6 performance, where errors persist despite a generally coherent delivery.

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

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