Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-30
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)
In the year 1970 Indonesia was the country with least amount of people living in cities with about 12 percent of the population living in cities. During this Philippines had the most individuals staying in cities which was just above 30 percent. In between all of this 30 percent Malaysians and about 19 percent Thai people were residing in cities.
Until 1980 Philippines population living in cities increased by only a few percent during which Malaysia surpassed it and became 40 percent. In 1990 Philippines again overtook Malaysia and the percentage became 50 percent. In the future Malaysia again surpassed Philippines and has continuously been rising and has reached almost 90 percent in 2040. The population of Philippines decreased gradually from 1990 and onwards till 2010. The percentage fell 50 percent to just below 40 percent. For Thailand and Indonesia, both countries had a gradual increase till 1990 but Thailand's percent became linear from 1990 till 2000. At this time both Thailand and Indonesia were at equal percentage but Indonesia crossed Thailand and later Philippines in 2010 and gradually increased to 60 percent in 2040 in the last place was Thailand's population in cities was onl
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to cover the data but fails to provide a clear overview or summary of the main trends. The description is largely a list of figures, which lacks analytical depth. Furthermore, the response is incomplete, ending mid-sentence, which means the final data points for Thailand and the overall conclusion are missing. While the key features of the four countries are mentioned, the lack of a cohesive summary and the abrupt ending prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure you include an introductory overview of the main trends and complete all sentences to provide a full report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear structure. There is no clear separation between the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, relying on simple chronological sequencing (e.g., 'In 1990', 'In the future'). Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes misused, such as 'In between all of this', which does not effectively link the data points. The paragraphing is insufficient, and the abrupt ending significantly disrupts the flow of the text. Better use of linking words and logical paragraph breaks would improve the readability and coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is repetitive and basic. Phrases like 'increased by only a few percent' and 'gradually increased' are used frequently without variation. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'the percentage became 50 percent' and 'Thailand's percent became linear'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited and does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. Incorporating more precise terminology related to trends (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'plateaued', 'surpassed') would enhance the quality of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'In the year 1970 Indonesia was the country with least amount of people' (missing articles) and 'In between all of this 30 percent Malaysians' (incorrect preposition and word order). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. Focusing on article usage, prepositions, and sentence structure will help improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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