The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in urban areas in different parts of the world.
Sample Response
The bar chartThe graph compares the changesgrowth in the percentage of the population living in urban areas in six different regions of the world.
According to the chart, between 1950 and 2007, the percentagebetween 1950 and 2007 the percentage of the population living in cities in Latin America and the Caribbean almost doubled, from 42% to 76%, whereas the figure for Europe increased onlyin Europe it only increased by 21%. However, in Europe over half the people already lived in cities in 1950.
When we compare the projected increases in Asia and Europe by 2050 we see that in Asia the percentage will continue to grow at a similar rateat the same speed, with a further increase of 25 percentage pointsincrease of 25%, whereas in Europe the change will be slower than before, increasing by only 12 percentage pointsonly 12%. By 2050, the vast majority (around 90%) of people in Latin America, the Caribbean and North America will live in cities. Even in Africa, more than half the population (62%) will live in urban areas by then.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is concise, well organised, and uses accurate comparisons and projections from the chart, with generally precise vocabulary and strong sentence control. Its main limitation is incomplete task coverage: Oceania is omitted and there is no fully explicit overview of the overall upward trend and regional ranking. Add a clear overview after the introduction, then select one or two representative figures from every region to demonstrate complete coverage.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response presents several accurate historical and projected comparisons, but it lacks a clear overall summary and omits Oceania entirely.
Add an explicit overview that all regions urbanise and that the Americas and Europe remain highest, while including Oceania in the details.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from past changes to future projections, with clear paragraphing and controlled use of comparison links.
Make the overview a distinct paragraph so the report's main message is immediately visible before the supporting figures.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, with effective language for changes, projections, proportions, and regional comparisons.
Refine expressions such as growth in the percentage and at the same speed to describe the numerical pattern more exactly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex comparison structures is used accurately, and the response is almost entirely error-free.
Maintain this control while varying sentence openings and avoiding reliance on repeated whereas clauses.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in urban areas in different parts of the world.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.