Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-08

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 chart below explains the data of the percentage of the population in four different Asian countries living in cities between 1970 and 2020, with prediction for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the figure of Malaysia had rose consistently over the period and will be the same ahead till 2040 which is followed by Indonesia with the same trend. Thailand's popullation had increased slightly and will go further by 2040. But Philippines had some ups and downs till 2010 but looks to be rise in in the future.

To begin with Malaysia, in 1970, its total popullation was 30% in but then it rose significantly till 2020 and by 2040 it will climb to 80%. In addition, the percentage of Indonesia was close to 12% but then it went up slightly to around 25% in 2000 and then after that its trend is going upward drastically and will be the same until 2040.

Furthermore, Thailand had the amount of under 20% people in 1070 and then it inclined a bit to 30% in 2020 but after that it is predicted that it will mount dramatically close to 50%. In contrast, the popullation of Philippines was over 30% in 1970 but then it spiked steadily to around 50% and after this it fell slowly to about 40% in 2010, and from there this started surging persistently and it will be moving the same till 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all four countries and include an overview of the main patterns: Malaysia rises strongly, Indonesia grows rapidly, Thailand increases more gradually, and the Philippines fluctuates before rising again. Several figures are broadly accurate, such as Malaysia at about 30% in 1970 and the Philippines falling after its 1990 peak. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: Malaysia reaches about 76% in 2020 and 84% in 2040, rather than simply climbing to 80%; Indonesia is about 30% in 2000, not 25%, and reaches roughly 64% by 2040. The overview’s claim that Malaysia “will be the same” ahead is also unclear. More precise comparisons and clearer reporting of the forecast endpoint would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs grouped by countries. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “In contrast” help signal progression. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some effective paragraphing. However, connections between ideas are occasionally mechanical, and some references are difficult to interpret—for example, “will be the same ahead” and “from there this started surging” do not clearly identify the trend or subject. The country-by-country grouping also limits direct comparisons between series. Use more precise referencing and connect related figures across countries to make the progression smoother and cohesion less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “rose,” “fell,” “inclined,” “surging,” and “drastically,” so the main movements are usually understandable. There are also attempts at more formal reporting language. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural in this context: “the chart explains the data,” “the figure of Malaysia,” and “the amount of under 20% people” are not idiomatic ways to describe the graph. “Spiked steadily” is also an awkward combination, while “popullation” is repeatedly misspelled. These errors make the vocabulary less precise and sometimes distract the reader, despite the overall message remaining clear. Prefer standard collocations such as “the proportion of the population,” “increased,” and “is projected to reach,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “but,” “and,” and “after that,” and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. Some sentence patterns are controlled, such as “Philippines had some ups and downs till 2010 but looks to be rise in in the future,” though this example also shows the main grammatical weaknesses. Errors include the verb form in “had rose,” the missing subject and auxiliary in “but looks to be rise,” and the awkward construction “its total popullation was 30% in.” There are also tense inconsistencies when describing past data and forecasts, as well as repeated article and preposition problems. These errors occur in some sentences but rarely prevent understanding. Review past-tense forms and use consistent structures for describing historical figures and predictions.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.