Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-07
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 graph illustrates about the percentage of population of the netizens residing in 4 different asian nation cities that are -'Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia scince 1970 till today and also the pridiction for 2030-40.
Overall the most populated nation among all four from 70 years is still the Malaysia and in 2040 the least populated nation predicted is Thailand.
At the beggining in the year 1970 the population in the cities of Philippines and Malaysia were almost same and highest but with time Malaysia's populations showed a healthy growth and is predicted to be kept at the top.
Indonesia was the least populated at the preface was the lowest but it showed masive growth and left behind the Thailand and Philippines in the year 2010 but the population of the Philippines got a decline for 2 decades from [redacted phone] at last Thailand have the lowest populated cities among all.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the trends for the four countries and the future predictions. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify the highest and lowest countries, you fail to provide specific data points (percentages) to support your descriptions, which is essential for an Academic Task 1 response. The overview is present but lacks precision. To improve, ensure you include key figures from the graph to substantiate your claims rather than relying on general descriptions like 'healthy growth' or 'massive growth'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'at the beginning' and 'at the preface' are used awkwardly. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the final paragraph where the transition between Indonesia's growth and the Philippines' decline is abrupt. Improving the use of linking words such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in contrast' would help create a smoother flow between sentences and paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'netizens' (which refers to internet users, not the general population) and 'preface' (which is used incorrectly to mean 'start' or 'beginning'). Additionally, there are spelling errors like 'beggining', 'pridiction', and 'masive'. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more accurate terminology for describing trends, such as 'upward trajectory' or 'fluctuated', and ensure correct spelling of key terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the Malaysia'), subject-verb agreement problems ('the population... were'), and awkward phrasing ('the population of the Philippines got a decline'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of hyphens and dashes. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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