Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-05
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 information provided in the given line chart demonstrates the proportion of the population of four different Asian countries residing in urbuns between 1970 and 2020, along with predictions of the upcoming 20 years for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, the percentage of population in given countries city has consistently raised over the past and future decades. Moreover, Malaysia is the most popular country in population as compared to the rest of three countries: Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Moving further, Malaysia start from 30% population in in 1970, then gradually increased to 43% at 1990, and from that point it top the chart by reaching to 76% in 2020, and have predicted to end with 82% in 2040. Furthermore, Indonesia population was starting with 14% in 1970, then gradually inclined at 25% in 2000s. However, from that place it consistently boost the graph by 49% in 2020, and have expected to end with 60%.
Furthermore, Philippines initiate with 31% in 1970, similarly it has sharply climbed with 48% in 1990. Likewise, it has move downward in the upcoming two decades and stay at 45% in 2020, and have predicted to finished with 52%. In stark contrast, Thailand begin with 18%, then marginally mount to 28% at 1990, latter show no change up to 2020, and finally data analyst predict them to end with 40% in 2040.
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
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided data points for all four countries across the specified timeframe. You covered the start, end, and key changes, which satisfies the requirements for an overview and detailed reporting. However, the analysis is slightly hindered by some inaccuracies in data reporting (e.g., stating Malaysia is the 'most popular' country, which is a misuse of vocabulary, and some minor discrepancies in the figures cited). To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between the historical data and the future predictions, and focus on making more precise comparisons between the countries rather than just listing individual trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Moving further', and 'In stark contrast' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Moving further' to start a paragraph about data. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus will help elevate your score in this area.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'gradually increased', 'sharply climbed', and 'marginally mount'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'residing in urbuns' (urban areas), 'most popular country in population' (highest urban population percentage), and 'consistently boost the graph'. These errors occasionally impede the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more accurate collocations and avoiding the misuse of common words like 'popular' when referring to statistical data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Malaysia start from', 'Indonesia population was starting'), incorrect tense usage ('have predicted to end', 'have move downward'), and preposition errors ('at 1990' instead of 'in 1990'). While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency of the response. Focusing on basic tense consistency and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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