Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-19

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 an insightful comparison among the people of four Asian countries, living in cities, over a period of seventy years, including twenty predicted years.

Overall, the population rose in all the countries over first fifty years which is leading the predicted population to grow. The Malaysia exhibited the highest surge in urban migration.

In 1970, only 30 percent of Malaysians lived in cities. They showed the highest migration from rural to urban areas resulting 78% Malaysians in cities by 2020. It will probably grow further by 7%, standing at 85% by 2040. Likewise, the Indonesia had 18% people in cities at the beginning of 1970 which went to almost 52% by 2020. Almost, 62% Indonesians are expected to live in city areas.

While Thailand and Philippines had started at 18% and 31% in 1970, they reached up to 32% and 44% of citizens in 2020, with minor fluctuations. The Philippines had gradual surge in 1990 and decreased to 44% in 2020. Though both of these executed growths but less than Malaysia and Indonesia with probable growth in next 20 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall pattern—that urban populations rise—and highlight Malaysia’s strong growth, while comparing the four countries across the period. Several figures are close to the chart, including Malaysia’s 30% starting point and Indonesia’s roughly 52% in 2020. However, some reported values are inaccurate: Malaysia is about 76% in 2020 and 84% in 2040, rather than 78% and 85%; Thailand begins at about 18%, but the Philippines begins at 32%, not 31%. The overview also misses an important contrast: Malaysia is highest by the end, while the Philippines fluctuates and Indonesia rises particularly sharply. You cover the task, but some comparisons and forecast details need more precise development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping Malaysia and Indonesia before Thailand and the Philippines. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the data, and linking expressions such as “Likewise” and “While” help signal comparisons. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, however. “Overall, the population rose… over first fifty years which is leading the predicted population to grow” combines past trends and forecasts awkwardly, and the final sentence repeats the idea of growth without specifying the comparison. Grouping the countries is useful, but clearer topic sentences and more explicit links between past figures and predictions would make progression smoother and cohesion more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “urban migration,” “predicted,” “fluctuations,” and “gradual surge,” so the main trends are understandable. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph. “Insightful comparison among the people” does not clearly describe what is measured, and “executed growths” is not an appropriate collocation. “Highest migration” also suggests movement of people rather than the largest increase in the urban share. Prefer precise terms such as “urban population,” “increase,” and “proportion.” Overall, the vocabulary is adequate for the task, but more natural collocations and careful word choice would improve precision and fluency.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “While Thailand and Philippines…” and a relative clause in the overview. Meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “over first fifty years” needs an article, and “which is leading the predicted population to grow” has an unclear structure and tense relationship. There are also errors in articles and agreement in “The Malaysia” and “the Indonesia,” while “Almost, 62% Indonesians are expected” has awkward punctuation and a missing article or possessive construction. These issues do not usually prevent understanding, but more consistent control of articles, sentence structure, and tense would strengthen accuracy.

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