Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-19
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 chart depicts the change in percentage of population in four Asian countries who lives in city between 1970 and 2020 and also prediction for next twenty years.
overall, it can be seen that the population in all four given countries kept increasing to live in city from 1970. However, there is major change in Philippines and Thailand.
In initial years, there is not much difference in the percentage of people in Philippines and Malasia living in city, which was nearly one third of total population. However, in Thailand and Indonesia a minority of people lives in city.
With time, in Malasia people moves to city and percentage increased drastically till 2020 and stood at above three of forth. and predicted to increase above 80 percentage in 2040. Similar trend can be seen in Indonesia also. its percentage of people living in city increased around five times and it is likely to grow more and will be at nearly two-third.
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 the main features of the graph, identifying the upward trend across all countries. However, the analysis is incomplete as it fails to mention the Philippines' data beyond the initial years, and the comparison between countries is underdeveloped. The overview is present but lacks sufficient detail regarding the specific trends of all four countries. To improve, ensure that every country mentioned in the prompt is tracked throughout the period and that the most significant data points (e.g., the highest and lowest percentages) are clearly highlighted to provide a more comprehensive summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the abrupt transition 'and predicted to increase' or the fragmented sentence structure in the final paragraph. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when referring to 'three of forth' or 'similar trend'. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects logically to the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several errors in word choice and form, such as 'lives in city' instead of 'urban population' or 'living in cities', and 'three of forth' instead of 'three-quarters'. The range is limited, relying on repetitive phrasing like 'percentage of people'. To improve, incorporate more academic collocations related to data description, such as 'proportion of the population', 'urbanisation rates', or 'projected to reach'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('people moves to city'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation errors, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters ('and predicted', 'its percentage'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered fluent. Focusing on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and consistent capitalisation will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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