Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-30

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 6.5)

The graph presents the percentage of population living in cities in four Asian countries from 1970 to 2020, which includes predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, there was a significant increase in population to all 4 countries. Malaysia rose from 30% to the highest percentage, approximately 75% by 2020 and predicting to rise to more than 80% by 2040. Both Thailand and Indonesia have upward movement all throughout the chart. Whereas the Philippines have some notable changes in its movement.

Indonesia had the lowest population in 1970 ranging at 14-15%. It slowly rose and reached 50% by 2020. It is predicted that it will reach 60% by 2040 which will beat the population percentage of Thailand and Philippines. Thailand started at 18-19% and has risen to 30% by 2020. It is predicted to reach around 45% by 2040.

Meanwhile the Philippines increased from 30% in 1970 up to almost 50% by 1990. It slowly decreased from then to a low of approximately 40% in 2010. It rose again by 2020 at mid 40% and is predicting to rise above 50% by 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You provide a clear overview of the main patterns: Malaysia becomes the highest, Indonesia rises strongly, and the Philippines fluctuates before recovering. Most reported figures are broadly consistent with the graph, including Malaysia’s rise from about 30% to over 80% by 2040 and the Philippines’ peak around 1990. The comparison that Indonesia will exceed both Thailand and the Philippines by 2040 is also accurate. Some details, however, are less fully reported: Malaysia’s 2020 figure is closer to 76%, and Indonesia is about 52% in 2020 and 64% in 2040, rather than 50% and 60%. Thailand reaches about 33.5% in 2020, not 30%. More precise comparisons across the four countries would make the account more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the country trends. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Whereas,” and “Meanwhile” help signal shifts between the main patterns, and the reader can follow the account without difficulty. The organisation is coherent, though some connections are mechanical or unclear: “Whereas the Philippines have some notable changes” is a fragment-like contrast that does not connect smoothly to the preceding sentence. The country-by-country details could also be grouped more deliberately—for example, contrasting Indonesia’s rapid growth with Thailand’s slower rise. Clearer referencing and more purposeful comparisons would make the progression more fluent.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “significant increase,” “slowly decreased,” “reached,” and “predicted.” These choices communicate the main movements, and the response includes some useful variation rather than relying entirely on “increase.” However, several phrases are imprecise or awkwardly collocated, such as “increase in population to all 4 countries,” “upward movement all throughout the chart,” and “at mid 40%.” “Population” is also sometimes used where the intended meaning is the proportion of people living in cities. More precise trend language and natural collocations would improve clarity and control, while avoiding repeated reliance on “rose” and “reach.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and most of the trends remain understandable. For example, “It is predicted that it will reach 60% by 2040” shows an attempt to use a prediction structure, while the final paragraph uses time clauses to describe change. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “there was a significant increase in population to all 4 countries,” the preposition and sentence construction are faulty; “Both Thailand and Indonesia have upward movement” has an awkward tense and structure. There are also agreement and verb-form problems in “the Philippines have” and “is predicting to rise.” Check subject–verb agreement and use forms such as “is predicted to rise.” Greater accuracy in these patterns would strengthen the response.

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