Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-02

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 information about proportion of the population in four Asian countries which are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia between 1970 and 2020 with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it evident that in 1970, Philippines people highly lived in cities area while there was ample people lived in cities area in Thailand.

In 1970, Philippines people mostly prefer to lived in cities area which was around 31% of total population who lived in cities while Indonesia's people are not much interested to lived in cities area which was approximately 14% people who lived in cities. 30% people of total population who lived in cities area in country Malaysia.

In future, all countries people are mostly live in cities and this percentage will augmenting in 2030 and 2040. Philippines population dramatically increased in 2030 and 2040 and this prediction around 80% and 82%. In 2030 and 2040 Indonesia's people are mostly live in cities area and it will surpass line of Malaysia and Thailand and it will reach around 60% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the starting points and the projected trends for the four countries. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the description of the trends is repetitive and lacks precision in comparing the countries' growth rates. While the main features are highlighted, the data points provided are sometimes vague or lack the necessary comparative analysis required for a higher band. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the overall shift toward urbanization across all nations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and often mechanical. Transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'all countries people are mostly live in cities'). The logical progression is present but feels somewhat disjointed due to the repetitive sentence structures and a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect the data points effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. There is significant repetition of phrases such as 'lived in cities area' and 'people of total population'. The student attempts to use some descriptive words like 'dramatically' and 'surpass', but these are often used with incorrect collocations or grammatical errors. To improve, the student should focus on using a wider variety of synonyms for 'urbanization' and 'increase' and ensure that words are used in their correct form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with verb forms (e.g., 'prefer to lived', 'interested to lived') and article usage. Sentence structures are generally simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'Philippines population dramatically increased in 2030 and 2040 and this prediction around 80%'. The lack of control over basic subject-verb agreement and tense consistency significantly limits the score in this criterion.

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

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