Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-09

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 5.5)

The line graph compares the figures of residents who were living in cities of four different Asian countries in time period from 1970 to 2020 also with future estimation for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, population of Malaysian citizens were higher then rest of countries throughout the time period and predicition for future aslo declares rises in population.

In 1970, Indonesian and thailand residents were used to live in cities with ratio of in between 10 to 20%. The citizens of thailand shows sharp increase with almost 30% in 1990 and it reamined same till 2020 . In constrast, the ratio for indonesia remain same fro thailand in 2000 after that it rises sharply and reached just above 50& in 2020 and future prediction also shown increase till 2040. While philippines and malaysian population starts with almost 30% in 1970 both countries shown increasing trend malaysia showed gradual rise from 1990 with ratio almost 45% to just above 80% also for future in 2040,, which is higher than other countries.Whereas, the citizens of philippines shows sharp increment and decrease till 2020 and in future the population is slightly higher than 50%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern: Malaysia rises to the highest level, while all four countries are projected to increase by 2040. You also include relevant comparisons, such as the Philippines and Malaysia starting at around 30%, and Indonesia reaching just over 50% in 2020. However, some key details are unclear or imprecise. Malaysia is described as higher than the other countries “throughout,” but the Philippines is slightly higher in 1990. The overview also says population rises, which could be clearer as the proportion living in cities. The Philippines’ rise and fall is mentioned without figures, and the account of Thailand’s later trend is not fully accurate: it edges up after 1990 before rising more noticeably in the forecast. Select and report these patterns more precisely to make the summary fuller.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the country trends. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and linking expressions such as “In contrast” and “Whereas” show an attempt to compare series. However, the final paragraph combines several countries and time periods in long, crowded sentences, so the progression is difficult to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “While philippines and malaysian population…” shifts from their starting points to Malaysia’s forecast and then to the Philippines. Some connectors are also used awkwardly, and references such as “it” are not always immediately clear. Separate the comparisons into shorter, logically grouped sentences and use linking words only where the relationship is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related language, including “sharp increase,” “gradual rise,” “remained,” and “future prediction,” which helps describe trends. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “figures of residents,” “population … were higher,” and “citizens … were used to live in cities.” Repetition of “population,” “ratio,” and “increase” also limits flexibility. Spelling errors—including “predicition,” “aslo,” “reamined,” and “constrast”—are noticeable and reduce the polish of the report. Aim for precise chart vocabulary, such as “urban population share” or “proportion living in cities,” and use verbs like “stood at,” “rose,” and “fluctuated” accurately. Proofreading spelling and word forms would make your meaning more consistently clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons introduced by “While” and “Whereas,” and the main trends can generally be understood. However, errors in agreement, tense, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “population of Malaysian citizens were higher” has a singular subject with a plural verb, while “the citizens of thailand shows” shifts incorrectly between plural subject and verb. The opening phrase “in time period” also needs an article, and several clauses run together without clear punctuation, particularly in the final paragraph. Practise building shorter sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and past-tense forms when describing historical data. This will help you retain complex comparisons while improving accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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