Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-15

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 illustrates the percentage of the population living in urban areas across four Asian countries, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from 1970 to 2020 with future projections up to year 2040.

On highest level, Malaysia has huge jump of population, since 1990. It was 30% back then before 1990 and then it reached to more than 45% of the population and continously increasing till 2020 up to around 75% and it predicted that it shall increase up to 85% in 2030 and 2040. Where, Indonesia is on similiar growth. started at 13% in 1970 and increased higher after 2000 up to 50% in 2020. Predictions says that it will jump around 10% to 12% in upcoming year-2030 and 2040.

Whereas, Population of Philippines seems to have a growth from 1970 to 1990 of around 32% to 50%. After 1990 human population have been dumped 40% till 2010. After that it increased moderately 5% and the predictions of two decades says it will have more population of around 58 % of the total.

In comparison, Malaysia and Indonesia have most grown population of about 60% to 80%.

Thailand and Philippines with the lowest urban population approximate 12% which is shown to increase in predictions of 2030 and 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four countries and the time frame provided. However, the analysis is inconsistent and contains inaccuracies. For instance, the description of the Philippines' population trend is confusing and does not accurately reflect the data points on the graph. The summary of the 'main features' is also somewhat muddled, as the comparison in the final paragraph is unclear and mathematically questionable. To improve, ensure that data points are cited accurately and that the overview clearly highlights the most significant trends (e.g., the rapid growth in Malaysia versus the more gradual growth in others) rather than listing individual country data in a disjointed manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the flow between and within paragraphs is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes misused, such as starting a sentence with 'On highest level' or 'Where, Indonesia is on similiar growth.' These transitions feel mechanical and do not effectively link ideas. The progression of information is not always logical, particularly in the third paragraph where the description of the Philippines' population trends is difficult to follow. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'huge jump of population,' 'human population have been dumped,' and 'most grown population.' These phrases are not natural in an academic context. While the student attempts to use some descriptive language, the lack of control over collocations and word forms limits the effectiveness of the communication. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more precise terms for describing trends—such as 'significant surge,' 'fluctuated,' or 'projected to reach'—would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Predictions says'), incorrect tense usage (e.g., 'have been dumped'), and missing articles or prepositions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and sentence fragments. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for common errors would help improve the overall accuracy of the writing.

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.