Task 1 · line graph · 18 samples

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

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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.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

198 words · Illustrative target band

The graph provides us with information about the proportion of the population in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia living in cities from 1970 till 2020, with prediction for next 20 years. Overall, people living in cities in Malaysia is more than in the other countries, while in Thailand this figure is less than in the Philippines. In 1970, around 30% of people in both the Philippines and Malaysia lived in…

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AI-completed learning example

190 words · Illustrative target band

The graph provides us with information about the proportion of the population in the the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia living in cities from 1970 till 2020, with the predictions for the the next 20 years. Overall, people living in cities in Malaysia is more than in other countries, while in Thailand this figure is lower for most of the period, before rising in the forecast years. The Philippines brief…

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AI-completed learning example

204 words · Illustrative target band

The given line graph depicts the population of metro towns of four Asian countries starting from 1970 till the present, and the prediction is in the future up to the year 2040. Overall, the strength of the four nations in terms of population was between 10 to 30 percent at the beginning of 1970, but Malaysia showed the strongest growth and had the highest figure by 2040. The percentage for Thailand also increased, al…

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