Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-13

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 illustration shows information about the population of four Asian countries (Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) living in the year of [redacted phone] and expected ratio of population in the years of 2030 to 2040. Overall, the proportion of the population of all countries will be increased in the year of 2040.

In the year of 1970 the population of Philippines and Malaysia was almost same that was around 30 percent. In contrast, only 10-20 percent people of Thailand and Indonesia were lived in cities. In the year of 2000, the proportion of city lives in Indonesia was 20 percent increased while the percentage of Thailand city population remained same. In comparison the population of Malaysia increased from 30 percent to 60 percent, while the ratio of Philippines remained same.

Furthermore, in the year of 2030, the city population of all four countries will be almost same. As compared to 2040, the proportion of all Asian countries will be

same. The percentage of city lives will be around 80 to 90 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, but the analysis is inconsistent and contains factual inaccuracies. For example, you state that in 2000, the proportion of city dwellers in Indonesia increased by 20 percent, which is not supported by the data. Furthermore, the claim that in 2030 and 2040 the city population of all four countries will be 'almost same' is an overgeneralization that fails to highlight the specific trends or differences between the countries. To improve, ensure you accurately extract data points and provide a more precise comparison of the trends rather than grouping them together inaccurately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally confusing. For instance, the transition 'In comparison the population of Malaysia increased' does not clearly link to the previous sentence about Indonesia. Additionally, the progression of ideas is hindered by the lack of clear logical flow between the years mentioned. While there is an overall attempt at organization, the relationships between the data points are not always clearly signposted, making the information feel somewhat disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'proportion of the population' and 'city population'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'proportion of city lives' and '10-20 percent people... were lived in cities'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim for more varied and accurate terminology, such as 'urbanization rates', 'the percentage of the population residing in urban areas', or 'a significant upward trend'.

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. Examples include 'living in the year of 1970-2020' (incorrect preposition/tense), '10-20 percent people... were lived in cities' (passive voice error), and 'the proportion of all Asian countries will be same' (missing article). While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in verb tense and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher level of accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage would be beneficial.

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

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