Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-15

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 illustrates the data of regarding the portion of the people living in four different Asian nations between 1970 and 2020, over a 50-year period along with projections for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, all four countries are showing the upward graph in their urban population percentage over the 70 years period. Malaysia is maintaining the urbanization most of the period while Thailand remained as the country with the least amount of city dwellers.

In 1980, 40% population of Malaysia lived in the city, and this percentage has been reached 75% in 2020 and it is projected to hit over 80% by 2040. Similarly, Indonesia started with the lowest urban population at roughly 13% in 1970. However, they showed steady growth and surpassed Philippines in 2010 to reach over 50% in 2020. By 2040 the urban population of Indonesia is expected to almost 60%.

On the other hand Philippines was the nation with most number of people living in urban area in 1970. Over the 20 years this a biggest rise had been seen, the percentage was reached nearly 50% in 1990 and then we saw a slight decline. Meanwhile, Thailand had about 18% of its population in urban regions in 1970. Its growth remained relatively slow and steady, reaching roughly 33% by 2020, but it is projected to see a faster rise up to 50% by 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the overall upward trend and make useful comparisons, including Malaysia’s strong growth and Thailand’s position as the least urbanised country for much of the period. The account also captures the Philippines’ rise to 1990 followed by a decline, and Indonesia overtaking it by 2010. However, the overview is not fully precise: the Philippines does not rise continuously, and Thailand is no longer the least urbanised by 2040, when it remains below the other countries but the ranking should be stated clearly. Some figures are inaccurate or incomplete: Indonesia is projected to reach about 64%, not almost 60%, and the Philippines’ later recovery to around 56% is omitted. More accurate coverage of the final projections would make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure: introduction, overview, and two detail paragraphs grouped by countries. Sequencing is generally easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “Similarly” and “On the other hand” help signal comparisons. However, some connections are mechanical or not quite logical: “Similarly” introduces Indonesia after Malaysia, although their trends are not especially similar, and “Meanwhile” does not clearly establish the contrast between the Philippines and Thailand. The overview also says all countries show an upward trend without immediately clarifying the Philippines’ fluctuation. Improve cohesion by grouping the countries around meaningful patterns and using more precise references, so comparisons build naturally rather than simply listing series.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “urban population percentage,” “projections,” “surpassed,” “steady growth,” and “slight decline.” These choices make the main trends understandable, and there is some attempt at more formal reporting language. However, several collocations and word choices are awkward, such as “the data of regarding the portion,” “maintaining the urbanization,” and “most number of people.” “Upward graph” is also imprecise because it describes the visual rather than the trend. Aim for natural chart-reporting phrases such as “the proportion living in cities,” “had the highest urban share,” and “urbanisation increased.” More precise vocabulary would improve fluency and reduce the impression of translated phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while,” “however,” and “although”-type contrasts, and the overall meaning is usually clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. For example, “40% population” needs an article or possessive construction, while “this percentage has been reached 75%” uses an incorrect verb form; “the percentage was reached nearly 50%” has the same problem. The sentence “Over the 20 years this a biggest rise had been seen” is also difficult to parse because of its word order and tense. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and use direct forms such as “the figure reached” or “the proportion rose to.”

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