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 given line graph illustrates the percentage of people living cities in 4 different asian countrys between 1970 to 2020, and predict 2030 and 2040 population also.
To summarize, it can be seen that, Philippines had the highest number of people in 1970, who lived in cities than any other countrys. Whereas, the graph predict that in 2040, more than 80% of Malaysian citizens stay in cities, which is the highest on that time.
In 1970, just only 18% Thai people lived in cities,whereas Philippines had the highest number of citizens approximately 32% lived in cities. On the other hand, only 12% Indonesian public had stay in cities on 1970, and 30% Malaysian also. After 2 decades, in 1990 still Philippines had the highest percentage and other cities population also growing.
But in 2000, Malaysian sities cross the philippines cities population and the percentage was approximately 60% and 45% respectively.then civilization also increased rapidly and the graph predict that on 2040 Malaysian cities cross any other country cities with the number of approximate 82% citizens. On the other side Indonesia, Philippines and Thiland people lives in cities approximate 60%, 50% and 43% respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the starting points in 1970 and the projected trends for 2040. You successfully identified the shift in leadership from the Philippines to Malaysia. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, listing data points rather than synthesising the information into a clear, analytical overview. While you mention the trends, the description of the middle period (1990–2000) is slightly disjointed. To improve, ensure you group the countries by their growth patterns rather than listing them chronologically, which would provide a more sophisticated summary of the data.
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 often repetitive or slightly unnatural, such as the frequent use of 'on the other hand' and 'whereas'. Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, particularly when moving between years. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'other cities population also growing', which lacks precision. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the logical flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'increased rapidly' and 'highest percentage'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and non-standard usage, such as 'civilization' (when you likely meant 'urbanisation'), 'public had stay', and 'Malaysian sities'. These errors, combined with spelling mistakes like 'countrys' and 'Thiland', indicate a limited control over more precise academic vocabulary. To reach a higher band, focus on using accurate terminology for data description and ensure correct spelling of proper nouns and plural forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('graph predict', 'Malaysian sities cross'), tense usage ('had stay'), and pluralisation ('countrys'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. These errors occur throughout the text and occasionally require the reader to re-read to understand the intended meaning. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips will significantly improve your score.
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.