Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-31

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 and compares the population percentage of individuals residing in cities in four Asian countries (Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) between 1970 and 2020, with its estimation for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, we can see that Malaysia had the highest growth level of individuals living in cities meanwhile,Thailand recorded the fewest growth level.

Malaysia and Indonasia both had a continous growth of people deciding to stay in cities throughout without a decline from about 30% to about 81% and from approximately 15% to approximately 60% respectively.

In contrast, individuals of Philipines and Thailand residing in cities also increased gradually but experienced a little drop during its growth. In Philipines , it rose from about 31% to nearly 50% ,before dropping to about 45% in 2010 ,then resurging back to over 50%. In Thailand , It also increased from approximately 19% to below 30% , it stayed constant from 2000 to 2020 then also resurging back to nearly 50%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the four countries, the period and the forecast years, and you report several key patterns: Malaysia and Indonesia rise overall, while the Philippines fluctuates and Thailand grows more slowly. The comparisons are generally relevant, and the figures are mostly consistent with the graph. However, the overview is not fully precise: saying Thailand had the “fewest growth level” is unclear, and the chart shows Malaysia ending highest, while Indonesia has the strongest overall rise. Some details are also underdeveloped. For example, Malaysia’s increase to about 83.5% by 2040 and Indonesia’s rise to about 64% are not clearly distinguished from their 2030 values. State the main ranking and contrast more explicitly, then support it with selected figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the countries by their trends. This makes the information easy to follow, and contrast markers such as “In contrast” help signal the shift to the Philippines and Thailand. The sequence within each country’s description is also mostly chronological. To make the progression more polished, ensure that comparisons are linked directly rather than relying on repeated “also” and “then.” For instance, the final paragraph could contrast the Philippines’ fluctuation with Thailand’s steadier rise in one clear sentence. Some punctuation spacing, such as “meanwhile,Thailand,” also interrupts the flow, but the organisation remains clear overall.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “illustrates,” “approximately,” “gradually,” “decline,” and “resurging,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are attempts at more formal phrasing, but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “growth level of individuals” does not describe the percentage trend naturally, and “fewest growth level” is not an appropriate collocation. “People deciding to stay in cities” also suggests a choice that the graph does not show; “the proportion living in cities” is more precise. Spelling errors such as “Indonasia,” “continous,” and “Philipines” reduce accuracy. Prefer concise, standard trend language and check country names and common spellings carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “while” and time sequences such as “before dropping to about 45% in 2010.” Most of the intended meaning can be understood, but some grammatical errors remain. In “Malaysia had the highest growth level … meanwhile, Thailand recorded…,” the linking structure is awkward; use a properly joined contrast clause. There are also inconsistent or unclear pronoun references in “its estimation” and “its growth,” and the sentence beginning “In Thailand, It also increased…” has an unnecessary capital after the comma. Several sentences would benefit from clearer clause boundaries and consistent past-tense reporting for historical data, with forecasts identified separately.

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