Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-07
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 chart illustrates how many people living in cities of four Asian countries between 1970 to 2020, with predicting the year of 2030 and 2040.
Overall, it can be seen that the number of people living in the cities of Malaysia and Indonesia has the largest proportion, while Philippines and Thailand have some fluctuation over the period.
Looking at the chart in more detail, it is evident that the number of people who lives in Philippines starts with 32% and increased with 49%, by 1990, then after a dramatic fall it rose to 55%, by the prediction of 2040. One the other hand, Malaysia has the largest proportion begin with 30% in 1970 and soared to 86% in 2040's prediction.
Turning to the remaining data of Thailand and Indonesia, it is clear that Thailand has the 2nd lowest population in 1970, which was 18%; after that it rise approximately 30% and remained stable between 1990 to 2020; then it have predicted to almost 50% for 2040. Indonesia has the smallest percentage in 1970, which was 14% then starts growing until reached 54%, then predicted to the second largest proportion over these countries at about 63% for 2030 to 2040.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all four countries and the time frame provided. You successfully identify the main trends, such as Malaysia's significant growth and the general upward trajectory for all nations. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccuracies in data reporting. For example, you state Indonesia had the smallest percentage in 1970 at 14%, but the graph shows Thailand was lower. Additionally, the description of the Philippines' trend is confusing, as you mention a 'dramatic fall' that is not clearly supported by the visual data. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are cited with greater precision and that the overview clearly distinguishes between the overall trends of the four countries.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Looking at the chart in more detail,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Turning to the remaining data' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the grouping of years (2030 to 2040) is a bit vague. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas throughout the response, which helps maintain the flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion,' 'fluctuation,' 'dramatic fall,' and 'soared.' These words help convey the trends effectively. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'with predicting the year' instead of 'with predictions for the year' and 'it have predicted' instead of 'it is predicted.' While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' would further improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the precision of your writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of people who lives' should be 'who live') and incorrect verb tenses ('it rise' instead of 'it rose' or 'it rose to'). Additionally, there are prepositional errors, such as 'increased with 49%' instead of 'increased to 49%.' While the meaning remains clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and tense consistency limit the score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and tense consistency will be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.