Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-14
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 population of four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with future predictions for 2020 and 2040.
Overall, the population of Malaysia and Indonesia will rise highly as compared with other Asian countries. In the past years from 1970 to 2010, the population of Philippines showed wave trend, while from the years 2010 to 2020 the population showed risen trend and in the future years of 2030 and 2040 the trend of population will continue to rise.
The population of Thailand showed upward trend from 19% to 30%, and its prediction for the years 2030 and 2040 will rise from 30% to 45%. The population in cities of Malaysia showed significantly rise from 30% to 75% from 1970 to 2020. Meanwhile in the future years will also predicts continue rise. Another Asian country Indonesia's population in cities showed upward trend from 12% to 50% in the past years, while its future prediction show upward trend from 50% to 60%. The population of Philippines living in cities showed fluctuations in the past years, while the prediction tells that percentage will rise.
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 all four countries and the time frame provided. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, listing data points rather than synthesising the main trends effectively. While the overview identifies that Malaysia and Indonesia show significant growth, the comparison between countries is limited. The inclusion of future predictions is accurate, but the description of the 'wave trend' for the Philippines is vague and lacks precision regarding the actual data points. To improve, focus on grouping the countries by similar trends (e.g., those with steady growth versus those with fluctuations) and highlighting the most significant differences or similarities at key intervals like 1970 and 2040.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, which provides a logical structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally mechanical (e.g., 'The population of... showed...'). The transition between the past data and future predictions in the second body paragraph is a bit abrupt. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and referencing techniques to avoid repeating the same sentence structures throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'rise highly', 'risen trend', and 'prediction tells' are either unnatural or grammatically incorrect. There is a reliance on basic verbs such as 'showed' and 'rise'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated collocations and descriptive language, such as 'experienced a sharp increase', 'projected to climb', or 'fluctuated significantly'. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but the lack of flexibility in word choice limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'will also predicts continue rise' (incorrect verb form and word order) and 'the population of Philippines showed wave trend' (missing articles). There are also issues with tense consistency when discussing future predictions. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. Increasing the accuracy of verb forms and ensuring correct article usage would significantly improve the quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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