Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-15
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 graph illustrates the proportion of the population in four Asian countries, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, residing in urban areas from 1970 to 2020 with projections for the following twenty years.
Overall, the urban population of all four countries increased over time, while the Malaysia and Indonesia experienced a significant increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas and this upward trend is expected to continue in all four countries over the following twenty years.
According to details presented in the graph, the population of the Malaysia increased significantly from 30% to 70% over fifty years from 1970 to 2020 and is expected to reach 80% over the following twenty years. The Indonesia experienced dramatic increase from 12% in 1970 to 50% in 2020 and is expected to rise to 60% in following twenty years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 main trends in the graph, presenting a clear overview that all four countries experienced an upward trajectory. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at 139 words. Furthermore, there are some minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for example, Indonesia's starting point in 1970 was around 14%, but the student stated it was 12%. Because the text is under-length and cuts off before covering all countries in the detail section (omitting Thailand and the Philippines), Task Achievement is negatively impacted.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response features an acceptable introduction and a clear overarching overview paragraph. However, the organization breaks down in the body paragraph, which is incomplete and abruptly ends after discussing only two of the four countries (Malaysia and Indonesia). Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'while', and 'According to details presented in the graph' are used reasonably well, but the lack of a proper conclusion and the truncated nature of the body paragraph limit the progression and overall structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a task 1 response, employing phrases such as 'proportion of the population', 'residing in urban areas', 'significant increase', and 'upward trend'. There are minor slips in article usage with country names (e.g., 'the Malaysia', 'The Indonesia'), but these lexical choices do not impede communication. With a slightly fuller range of vocabulary and greater precision in reporting data, a higher band could be achieved.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and time clauses successfully (e.g., 'the urban population of all four countries increased over time, while the Malaysia and Indonesia experienced a significant increase...'). There are some grammatical errors, most notably incorrect use of definite articles before country names ('the Malaysia', 'The Indonesia') and minor preposition issues. However, the errors are non-systematic and rarely impede overall understanding.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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