Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-04
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 chart illustrates the proportion of the population living in megacities in four different Asian nations between 1970 to 2020, along with future assumptions for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, the population will increases significantly by 2040 in all countries. Malaysia become the highest populated nation while Thailand will consider as less dense populated area in upcoming years.
In 1970, the population in Indonesia was approximately 15% and it gradually grew 40% by 2010. It is estimated that it reaches to nearly 60% till 2040. Similarly, Thailand stood third at 19% in terms of population in 1970. The ratio increased to 25% by 1990, after that it became stagnate till 2020. Further it will drastically rise and reaches above 40%.
On other hand, Philippines had around 31% of total population in 1970. It attained around 50% after undergoing a great fluctuations. Moreover, in 1970, Malaysia was second highest populated country having population 30%. It rose dramatically at 75% by 2020 and it is predicted it will soon attain around 80% by 2040.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task, including the trends for all four countries and the future predictions. The overview identifies the general upward trend, which is a key feature. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccurate reporting of data points. For instance, stating Malaysia was the 'second highest' in 1970 is incorrect, as it was clearly the highest. Additionally, the description of Thailand's trend as 'stagnate' is imprecise given the visual data. While the main features are highlighted, the accuracy of the data reporting needs improvement to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Similarly', 'On other hand', and 'Moreover', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'Further it will drastically rise', which lacks a clear link to the previous sentence. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the data sets.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with attempts at descriptive language like 'drastically rise', 'attained', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'less dense populated area' instead of 'the least urbanized country' and 'future assumptions' instead of 'projections'. The term 'megacities' is used, though the prompt refers to 'living in cities'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, the lack of precision and occasional misuse of terms limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that detract from the quality of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('population will increases', 'Malaysia become', 'it reaches to'), incorrect preposition usage ('at 19%', 'at 75%'), and awkward phrasing ('it became stagnate'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on verb tense consistency and correct prepositional phrases when describing statistical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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