Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-05

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 chart provides data on the proportion of population in Phillippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia between 1970 and 2020, also giving guess for the years 2030 and 2040. The population informations are given in percentage.

Oveall, the trend for population for the all the countries increased significantly, whereas only Philippines showed a fluctuation in population.

The most prominent change in the population percentage were shown by the Indonesia and Malaysia. Malaysia depicted a small dip in the year 1999 however, it than rose significantly starting from approximately 45 % in 1990 to 80 % above in 2040. The line for the Indonesian population also went up without decreasing showing the population reached at 60 % in the year 2040.

The population percentage of Philippines fluctuated the most amoung all the countries. It started at 30 % in 1970 then inclined to 50% in 1990. After that it fall to 40% in 2010 and increased slightly till it reached a little above 50% in 2040. Thailand showed a steady from 1970 to 1990 going from a little below 19% to approximately 25%. This trend remained steady from 1990 to 2000 and started to rose up again till approximately 50% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the line chart covering the four countries and the time span including predictions. However, some aspects are under-developed or contain inaccuracies. For example, the overview states that only the Philippines showed a fluctuation, whereas Indonesia and Malaysia also showed upward trends with specific rates of change that deserved more precise highlighting. There is a minor data misreading when stating Malaysia depicted a small dip in the year 1999, as the data points are given at decade intervals. Despite these minor limitations, a clear overall trend is established and relevant comparisons are made, placing the response securely at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to group information logically by country. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in transitions like 'Malaysia depicted a small dip in the year 1999 however, it than rose significantly'. Referencing and linking between sentences can occasionally feel abrupt, preventing a smoother progression of ideas. While cohesive devices are present, they are not always managed with complete flexibility, resulting in a slightly mechanical flow that fits the criteria for this band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'proportion', 'significant', 'fluctuated', and 'trend'. There are, however, several lexical errors and awkward word choices that prevent a higher score. Spelling and word choice errors include 'Phillippines' (misspelling), 'Oveall' (typographical error), 'informations' (uncountable noun used as plural), 'guess' instead of 'predictions', and phrasal issues like 'started to rose up again' instead of 'started to rise again'. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they highlight the need for greater precision in word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as relative clauses and comparative statements. There are, however, some recurring errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement and prepositional issues such as 'the trend for population for the all the countries', tense inconsistencies or awkward verb forms like 'it than rose significantly' and 'it fall to 40%'. Punctuation is also occasionally weak, such as missing commas before dependent clauses. These errors occur across a mix of structures, but they rarely impede overall communication.

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