Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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 7.0)

The line graph illustrates the percentage of people living in urban areas in four Asian countries, namely the phillippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, between 1970 and 2020, with projections for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the proportion of urban residents increased in all four countries over the period . Malaysia had the highest figures for most of the period and is expected to remain the country with the largest urban population percentage in 2040. In contrast, Thailand consistently had the lowest figures until 2020.

In 1970, approxiamately 32% of the population of the phippines lived in cities, compared with 30% in malaysia These figures rose to 49% and 45% respectively By 1990. After that, the phippine figure fluctuated , reaching 43% in 2010 before rising again to 46% in 2020. Meanwhile, malaysia experienced a much stronger increase, reaching 75% in 2020.

Indonesia also saw considerable growth, rising from only 13% in 1970 to 52% in 2020. Thailand increased more gradually, from 18% to 33% over the same period. The figures are predicted to continue rising in all four countries by 2040, reaching about 83% in malaysia, 64% in Indonesia 56% in the phillppines and 50% in Thailand.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response gives a clear overview of the broad pattern: urbanisation rises in all four countries, Malaysia leads for most of the period and is projected to remain highest, while Thailand is initially lowest. It also selects useful comparisons and supports them with figures, including Indonesia’s rise from about 13% to 52% by 2020. The account is generally accurate, but a few details are imprecise: Malaysia is about 76% in 2020 rather than 75%, and the Philippines reaches about 48% in 1990, not 49%. The statement that Thailand is lowest “until 2020” is also too broad, since Indonesia is lower in 1970 and 1980. More precise comparisons and careful checking of key figures would strengthen an already well-focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. Its progression from the overall trends to country-specific figures is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “In contrast,” “After that,” and “Meanwhile” help signal comparisons and changes over time. The final paragraph also brings the projected figures together clearly. To make the organisation more polished, group related countries consistently—for example, compare Malaysia and the Philippines in one paragraph, then Thailand and Indonesia—and use punctuation to separate some of the closely packed figures. Overall, the structure is clear and logical, though cohesion and paragraph development could be managed with slightly greater flexibility.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of task-appropriate vocabulary, including “proportion,” “fluctuated,” “considerable growth,” “projections,” and “reaching,” which allows the writer to describe trends and comparisons clearly. Some phrasing is less precise or natural: “the largest urban population percentage” is better expressed as the highest proportion of people living in cities, and “the figures are predicted to continue rising” could be made more concise. Spelling errors in country names—such as “phillippines,” “phippines,” and “phillppines”—also reduce accuracy, as does inconsistent capitalisation of “Malaysia.” More reliable spelling and a wider range of precise trend collocations would improve lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the contrastive construction “After that … before rising again.” Most meanings remain clear, and the writer handles past trends and future projections appropriately. However, some punctuation and sentence-boundary errors interrupt accuracy: “30% in malaysia These figures” needs a full stop, as does the transition before “By 1990”; there are also stray spaces before commas and full stops. The phrase “between 1970 and 2020, with projections for 2030 and 2040” is structurally sound, but the response would benefit from more consistently controlled punctuation and a few more varied complex sentence patterns. These are noticeable but do not prevent understanding.

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