Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

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 forecasts the percentage till 2040.

Overall, a rise is seen in the 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’s total population lived in cities and that number steadily rose to 45% by 1990 . After 1990, it retained its position as the most urbanized country by surpassing the Philippines, the figure surged and reached 76% by 2020. The percentage is expected to reach 83% by 2040. A 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 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.

The 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 until 2020. By 2040, the predicted numbers are at 60%. Ultimately, Thailand which was the third largest in 1970 and accounted for 19%. It rose steadily until 1990 and stabilised at 32% until 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 prompt by summarizing the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four countries. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, identifying overall upward trends and highlighting Malaysia and Thailand at opposite ends of the spectrum. Key data points are generally reported accurately, such as Malaysia's growth from 30% to 76% by 2020 and its projected rise to 83%. However, there are minor inaccuracies in some data retrieval, such as Indonesia's 2020 figure being listed as 50% rather than roughly 52%, and the Philippines' 2010 dip being misreported as 40% instead of 42.5%. Despite these small discrepancies, the response covers all countries and timeframes effectively, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is grouped logically by country and time period, allowing the reader to follow the trends easily. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. Cohesive devices are employed with reasonable flexibility, such as 'Additionally', 'After 1990', and 'Ultimately'. However, some transition choices are slightly mechanical or abrupt, and referencing could be smoother, particularly when transitioning between countries in the third and fourth paragraphs. Overall, cohesion is well managed, supporting a clear narrative.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'urbanized', 'fluctuations', 'stabilised', and 'forecasts'. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'anticipated' and 'surpassing'. However, there are some minor word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'living in a city' (instead of 'living in cities') and 'the predicted numbers are at 60%' (which should refer to percentages). Spelling is accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, placing this response solidly in the Band 6.5 to 7 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and participial phrases effectively. Examples include 'The given multi-line graph tracks the percentage... and forecasts...' and 'After reaching a peak at 48% in 1990, fell to 40% by 2010.' Grammatical control is generally good, though there are occasional errors such as a missing subject in the aforementioned clause ('...in 1990, fell to...') and slight prepositional awkwardness. Punctuation is mostly accurate, though there are some spacing issues around punctuation marks. The frequency and nature of errors do not impede communication.

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