Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-11
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 proportion of the population living on cities between 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, Malaysia had the highest increase, overtaking Philippines at the begining of the period, while Indonesia also experienced an upward trend overtaking both Thailand and Philippine and is expected to increase further in 2040. In addition, Thailand had the least increase.
Focusing on Malaysia and Indonesia, they both increased significantly and is predicted to grow at the end of the period. Malaysia overtook Philippine leading with 30% of total population in 1970, while Indonesia accounted for around 12% population living in the cities, but overtook Thailand and Philippine in 2000 and 2010 respectively,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the response. While you have identified some main features, such as the upward trends for Malaysia and Indonesia, the description is incomplete. You have not provided a comprehensive overview of all four countries, and the data reporting is fragmented. To improve, ensure you cover all categories (Thailand and Philippines) with equal detail and provide a clear, data-supported summary of the trends across the entire period. The current length prevents a full analysis of the data provided in the graph.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into an introduction and body paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall' and 'In addition', but the flow is interrupted by the abrupt ending of the final sentence. Paragraphing is present, but the lack of sufficient content makes the overall structure feel underdeveloped. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that sentences are linked logically to guide the reader through the data comparisons.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'proportion', 'upward trend', and 'overtaking' being appropriate for describing a graph. However, the range is limited, and there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'living on cities' instead of 'living in cities'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'plateaued', or 'dramatic growth', and ensure correct preposition usage.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that affect clarity. For example, 'they both increased significantly and is predicted' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('is' should be 'are'). Additionally, 'overtaking both Thailand and Philippine' lacks the plural form for the country name. Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is occasionally awkward. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage (past for 1970-2020 and future for predictions) will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.