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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

197 words AcademicTask 1Line Graph
Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Compare the overall upward direction with differences in pace: Malaysia rises steadily, while Indonesia’s growth accelerates after 2000.
  • Highlight meaningful exceptions to a simple upward trend, especially the Philippines’ fall after 1990 and Thailand’s extended plateau.
  • Use the final-year figures to compare the projected ranking: Malaysia is highest, Indonesia next, the Philippines below it, and Thailand lowest.

Suggested structure

  1. Paraphrase the graph’s subject, countries, and time span in the introduction.
  2. Give an overview of the overall direction and the main contrast in projected levels.
  3. Describe starting values and Malaysia’s steady rise.
  4. Compare the Philippines’ dip and recovery with Indonesia’s stronger later growth.
  5. Finish the detailed comparison with Thailand’s plateau and forecast increase.
Useful vocabulary & examples
urban population share
the percentage of a population living in cities

Malaysia’s urban population share is projected to exceed 80% by 2040.

reach a peak
attain the highest point in a period

The Philippines reached a peak of about 48% in 1990.

remain broadly stable
stay at a similar level, with little overall change

Thailand’s figure remained broadly stable near 30% for several years.

be projected to
be expected or forecast to happen

Indonesia’s urban share is projected to reach about 64% in 2040.

Task Prompt

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in 4 Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

The line graph illustrates changes in the urban population percentages of four Asian nations, namely the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, spanning from 1970 to 2040. Overall, all four countries experienced a rise in population percentages from 1970 to 2020, with projections indicating a further increase by 2040. Malaysia is anticipated to have the highest proportion of its population living in cities by 2040, at approximately 83%. In 1970, the Philippines and Malaysia were both at about 30%, while Thailand and Indonesia stood at roughly 18% and 13%, respectively. Malaysia's figure rose steadily, reaching around 60% in 2000 and 70% in 2010, before climbing to just over 80% by 2040. The Philippines increased to just under 50% in 1990, then fell to the low 40s by 2010; it is projected to recover to approximately 56% in 2040. Indonesia grew from the lowest starting point to around 30% in 2000, then overtook the Philippines by 2010. It is expected to reach about 64% by 2040, remaining second to Malaysia. Thailand rose to roughly 30% in 1990 and changed little until 2020. After that, its urban population share is forecast to increase more noticeably, reaching approximately 50% in 2040.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Add one overview comparison naming Malaysia as highest, Indonesia as second, and Thailand as lowest by 2040.
2
Group the body around contrasting patterns—for example, Malaysia's steady rise versus the Philippines' dip, followed by Indonesia's stronger growth versus Thailand's slower trend.
3
Use “urban share” or “proportion living in cities” in place of repeated uses of “population percentages,” and retain approximate language for values read from the graph.

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