Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-12

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 graph shows the percentagges living in cities in four Asian countries,namely the Philippines,Malaysia,Thailand and Indonesia,between 1970 to 2020,with the predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the percentage of people living in cities increased in all four countries. Malasyia is expected to have the hightest percentage through out the last year,while Thailand is predicted to remain the lowest. Indonesia shows also a significant increase over the period.

In 1970 ,approximately 30% of the population in both the Philippines and Malaysia lived in cities.The figure for the Philippines rose slightly to around 34% in 1980 before reaching it to 49% in 1990.However it then declinedcgraduallyto 40% in 2010.After that it expected to increase to approximately 52% in 2024.

Malaysia experienced steady growth rising from 30% to 40% in 1980. The figure roughly in 59%in 2000 and is predicated to climb further to around 80% in 2040.

Indonesia has the lowest urban population in 1970 at approximately 30%.However its figure increased approximately 40% in2010 and is forcast to reach 60% in 2040.In contrast,Thailand experienced slower growth ,rising from around 18% in 1970 to 30% in 2020,but it prediction to increased at the level of 45% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You provide a relevant overview, noting that urbanisation rises overall and that Malaysia is projected to have the highest share by 2040. You also select useful comparisons, including the Philippines’ rise and subsequent dip and Indonesia’s strong growth. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: Thailand is not the lowest in 2020 or 2040, since the Philippines is lower at those points, and the Philippines’ final figure is for 2040, not 2024. The statement that Indonesia had the lowest figure in 1970 is also incorrect: Thailand was lower, at about 18%, compared with Indonesia’s 14%—so Indonesia was in fact the lowest. Several series are only partly described, and the overview could identify the changing rankings more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the countries’ figures. This makes the main information reasonably easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. Some connections are less effective, though. The country-by-country presentation does not consistently group comparable trends, and the overview’s claim that Thailand remains lowest conflicts with the later figures. A few transitions are also awkward or unclear, such as “After that it expected to increase,” which makes the sequence harder to follow. Organise the details into clearer comparisons—for example, contrasting Malaysia’s high projected level with the Philippines’ fluctuations—and check that the overview agrees with the supporting data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of task-related vocabulary, including “percentage,” “declined,” “steady growth,” “approximately,” and “predicted.” These choices generally communicate the trends, and the response attempts some variation rather than repeating one verb throughout. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “percentagges,” “Malasyia,” “hightest,” “predicated,” and “forcast.” Some phrases are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “reaching it to 49%” and “increased at the level of 45%.” Use accurate trend collocations and proofread spellings; this would make the description more precise and fluent without requiring unusually advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “before,” “while,” and “although”-type contrasts, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with tense, sentence construction, and punctuation. For example, “between 1970 to 2020” uses an incorrect preposition pattern, while “After that it expected to increase” is missing an appropriate auxiliary or passive construction. “It then declined gradually to 40%” also needs a more accurate figure, though that is a data issue rather than grammar. Commas are often missing after introductory phrases, and spacing around punctuation is inconsistent. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and future prediction forms, then proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation.

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