Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-29

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 given graph illustrates the information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia cities from 1970 to 2020 with predictions for 200 and 2040.

To Embark with ,it is noticeable that the y-axis represents the years while the x-axis represents the percentage of total population. Starting with the Philippines its population has been increasing but a bit slowly .In the year 1970 and 1980 only its population was only 30% while a little increase in 1990 less than 40 % but decreased in 2000 and in the year 2010 and 2020 it has been slightly same . The predictions shows that in year 2020 and 2040 it will likely be increased .Coming to Malaysia the year 1970,1980,1990 it showed only a little increase but in the year 2000 it rapidly increased up to 60% and reached 70% in the year 2010 and increased more than 70% in the year 2020 . The given prediction tell us that the population will be more increasing in the coming years. Next, we have Thailand whose population has been increasing very slowly and the predictions tell us that in the year 2030 and 2040 the population will reach till 50%.The last one Indonesia has gradually slowly change in the years 1970,1980,1990,2000 but has increased in the year 2010 reaching upto more than 40% and the predictions also tell us that the population will increase a lot in the coming years 2030 and 2040 exceeding 60% .

Significantly , Malaysia will be a lot more populated city compared to other cities

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four countries and the time period, but the analysis is superficial. You have listed data points chronologically rather than identifying key trends or making meaningful comparisons. For example, you describe the Philippines' data year-by-year instead of noting the overall trend of slow growth. Furthermore, there are factual inaccuracies in your description of the axes (the y-axis represents the percentage, not the years) and the data points (e.g., claiming the Philippines population decreased in 2000 when the graph shows a different trend). To improve, focus on grouping countries by similar trends and highlighting the most significant changes rather than listing every data point.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay lacks a clear structure. It is essentially one long paragraph with very little logical progression. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Starting with' and 'Coming to', these are used mechanically. There is no clear introduction or overview paragraph, which is essential for Task 1. The referencing is also confusing; you refer to the countries as 'cities', which is inaccurate based on the prompt. To improve, use clear paragraphing: one for the introduction/overview, and two for the body paragraphs grouping the countries by their growth patterns.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on phrases like 'increased' and 'a little increase'. There are also issues with word choice, such as referring to countries as 'populated cities' and using 'the predictions tell us' repeatedly. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'gradually slowly change'. To reach a higher band, you need to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'surpassed', or 'projected to rise'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Punctuation is inconsistent, with many missing or misplaced commas and spaces before punctuation marks. There are also errors in subject-verb agreement and sentence structure, such as 'The predictions shows' and 'the population will be more increasing'. Many sentences are run-on or lack proper coordination. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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