Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-24

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 graph illustrates the percentage of individuals from four Asian countries,Philippines,Malaysia,Thailand and Indonesia living in cities from the year 1970 up until 2020,with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

In general,Malaysia and Indonesia are top of the list of people living in cities as Thailand is the lowest in most of the years putting into consideration the prediction years.

At the start,Philippines was slightly above 30% and in 1990 the population increased slightly by around 18% with a prediction of it maintaining the same rates by 2040.On the other hand Malaysia shows a significant rise in exception of a little drop in 1990,towards the end the number of individuals who will be residing in urban areas will be at 80% which is the highest of all.

For Thailand,there has been an increase the a narrow plateaue in the year 1990 but an approximation of close to 40% by 2040.Indonesia also shows a consistent rise from slightly above 10% at the start and more than 50% by the year 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the subject, time span and forecast period, and your overview notes that Malaysia and Indonesia rise while Thailand remains comparatively low. You also include relevant figures, such as the Philippines starting just above 30% and Malaysia reaching about 80% by the end. However, some key details are unclear or inaccurate: the Philippines rises by about 16 percentage points from 1970 to 1990, not 18%, and then falls before recovering, rather than maintaining the same rate. Malaysia does not drop in 1990; it rises throughout. Indonesia reaches just over 50% in 2020 and about 64% in 2040, so the endpoint is confused. Develop the overview around the strongest comparisons and report the main changes more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a general overview, and paragraphs describing the countries. This gives the reader a recognisable progression, and transitions such as “On the other hand” help signal comparison. The organisation is not fully effective, however, because the country details are grouped unevenly and some comparisons are difficult to follow. For example, the Philippines and Malaysia are discussed together, while Thailand and Indonesia receive brief, separate comments, with little direct comparison between their trends. The overview also says Malaysia and Indonesia are “top of the list” without clarifying how their relative positions change. Grouping the series by similar patterns and using clearer references to dates would make cohesion more flexible and the progression more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the graph, including “percentage,” “significant rise,” “prediction,” and “urban areas.” These choices generally communicate the topic, and you attempt less common expressions such as “maintaining the same rates.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, though: “top of the list” is imprecise for ranking proportions, “a narrow plateaue” is not a suitable description, and “in exception of a little drop” does not express the intended trend clearly. “Individuals who will be residing” is also unnecessarily wordy. Choose standard graph language such as “highest proportion,” “levelled off,” and “with the exception of,” and check spelling and collocation so that your meaning is consistently precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “as” and “On the other hand,” and the main message is usually understandable. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. Commas are often attached to the following word (“countries,Philippines” and “2020,with”), and the sentence beginning “For Thailand” contains a faulty construction: “there has been an increase the a narrow plateaue.” The phrase “in 1990 the population increased slightly by around 18%” also needs a clearer grammatical relationship between the date and the change. Use complete, carefully punctuated sentences, and check articles and clause structure when combining trends. Greater control of these patterns would make your varied sentence forms more accurate.

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