Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-17

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 shows the percentage of people living in cities in four Asian countries. The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. From 1970 to 2020 and what it will be up to 2040.

All four countries see an increase in people moving to cities over the 70 years. Malaysia has the growth and Thailand has the smallest number of people living in cities for most of the time.

In 1970 the Philippines had the people living in cities with about 32 percent of the population in cities. Malaysia was behind with 30 percent. The Philippines went up and down between 40 and 50 percent from 1980 to 2010. Then went up to 50 percent in 2030. Malaysia had fast growth with over 70 percent of the population in cities by 2010 and it will be over 80 percent by 2040.

Indonesia and Thailand had the number of people living in cities in 1970 with 14 percent and 18 percent. Indonesia passed Thailand by 2000. The Philippines by around 2010. It kept growing and will have around 64 percent of the population in cities by 2040. Thailand had growth with about 33 percent of the population, in cities by 2020.. Thailand will have faster growth and will have 50 percent of the population in cities by 2040. The Philippines and Malaysia and Indonesia and Thailand all have growth rates but they all have more people living in cities now than they did in 1970. The Philippines and Malaysia and Indonesia and Thailand are all urbanizing. They will all have even more people living in cities by 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends for the four countries. You successfully highlighted the overall upward trend and made relevant comparisons, such as noting that Indonesia surpassed Thailand and the Philippines. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, you list data points without always synthesizing the information into a cohesive overview. To reach a higher band, ensure that the 'main features' are clearly highlighted in an overview paragraph and that comparisons are more precise, rather than just listing individual country data sequentially.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'The Philippines and Malaysia and Indonesia and Thailand' are used frequently, which makes the flow feel a bit clunky. There is a lack of varied linking words to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs. Improving the use of transition signals (e.g., 'In contrast,' 'Furthermore,' 'Conversely') would significantly enhance the logical flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'had', 'went up', and 'growing'. While these are accurate, they do not demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary. There are also some minor issues with collocation and phrasing, such as 'had the people living in cities' which is vague. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'experienced a steady climb,' 'remained the lowest,' or 'projected to reach.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'The Philippines and Malaysia and Indonesia and Thailand all have growth rates' (which is repetitive and slightly awkward) and punctuation issues like the double period at the end of a sentence. Some sentences are fragmented or lack necessary articles. To improve, focus on sentence variety and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and punctuation errors to ensure your writing is more polished and professional.

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

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