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 given diagram illustrates the population of four Asian countries residing in urban areas in percentage from the year 1970 to 2020 along with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it is predicted that Malaysia and Indonesia will have the majority of the population in cities as opposed to Thailand and Philippines. In general, all of these countries have growth in the number of people living in cities from 1970 to 2040.

Two countries have a stable growth in it's population : Malaysia and Indonesia. In 1970, 30% and 19% of total population of Malaysia and Indonesia resided in the metropolitan cities. These countries have a stable growth in population with almost 10% increase each year and it is estimated total population active in city areas by 2040 will be 80% and 60% respectively.

In 1970, population of Philippines was the greatest than any other country at 32% and it spiked up rapidly by 1990. However, it faced a decline of 5% till 2010 at 42% and finally rose up steadily.

On the other hand, Total active population of towns in Thailand has a growth until 1990 which then gets stabilized till 2020 at 30%. Eventually, it is predicted that the population in urban areas will increase by 10% each year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview. You covered all four countries and included the required timeframes. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you state that Malaysia and Indonesia have a '10% increase each year', which is a significant over-generalization and mathematically incorrect based on the provided graph. Additionally, describing the Philippines' trend as having 'spiked up rapidly' is slightly inaccurate given the gradual nature of the data points. To improve, ensure that your descriptions of trends are supported by the actual figures provided in the graph rather than using imprecise descriptive language.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1970', 'However', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the overview and the specific details could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is more fluid and less reliant on simple chronological listing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'residing', 'metropolitan', 'estimated', and 'stabilized'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'total population active in city areas' and 'population of Philippines was the greatest than any other country'. The latter contains a grammatical error in the comparative structure. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that your collocations are natural. Avoid repetitive phrasing and try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'growth' and 'increase' to enhance the variety of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'it's population' should be 'its population' (possessive), and 'greatest than' is incorrect; it should be 'greater than'. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'in percentage' instead of 'as a percentage'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of comparative adjectives to improve your accuracy.

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

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