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 trends effectively. While you mention the 2030 and 2040 predictions, the description of the intermediate years is a bit cluttered. To improve, focus on grouping the countries by their growth patterns (e.g., those with steady growth versus those with more rapid acceleration) rather than listing them chronologically.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'whereas', 'on the other hand', and 'in contrast', which is good. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and some transitions feel repetitive. The use of referencing is sometimes 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 progression of your report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, such as 'illustrates', 'percentage', and 'rapidly'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and non-standard phrasing, such as 'Indonesian public had stay in cities' and 'Malaysian sities cross the philippines cities'. The term 'civilization' is used incorrectly here; 'urbanisation' would be the accurate term for the context of people moving to cities. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic collocations would help you reach a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For example, '4 different asian countrys' contains a spelling error and a lack of capitalisation. There are also issues with verb tense consistency, such as 'the graph predict' instead of 'predicts' and 'had stay' instead of 'had stayed' or 'were living'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in subject-verb agreement and pluralisation prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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