Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-16
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 highlights the information regarding the porportions of population living in Four Asian countries: Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia between the years 1970 and 2020, meanwhile illustrates the anticipations for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, It is evident from the graph that Malaysia remained the most populated country throughout the timeframe whereas, Indonesia can be seen as the least populated country compared to a small margian from Philippines by 2040.
Initially, In 1970 Malaysia accounted for 30% of the population, climbed steadily every decade and is anticipated to reach a peak of 80% by 2040.
However, Philippines showed continuous flactuations, outset with the same propotion of 30% showed an upward trajectroy in the year 1990, plunged in 2010 and is anticipated to plateau at approximately 40% by 2040.
Furthermore, Indonesia showed the most dramatic rise started with almost 15% population and rose significantly and is predicted to reach over 50% by 2040. The population of Thailand rose from 20% to 30% in 1990 before flattening out. By 2040, it is projected to surge further accounting for 40% of population.
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
The response covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview and reporting key data trends across the four countries. The student identifies Malaysia as having the highest percentage of urban population throughout the period and details the upward trajectory of Indonesia and Thailand. However, there are some minor factual inaccuracies regarding the data from the visual; for example, the student states Malaysia starts at 30% and reaches 80% (actually around 83.5%), and misinterprets the population concept as 'most populated country' instead of 'percentage of population living in cities'. Despite these slight misreadings of the graph's metrics, the main features and comparisons are successfully reported, fitting comfortably within Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is arranged into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, moving to an overview, and then breaking down individual country trends in the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Initially', 'However', and 'Furthermore' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. Referencing and paragraphing are generally appropriate and clear overall, but the progression between ideas could be smoother. These characteristics align well with the criteria for Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'anticipations', 'upward trajectory', 'plunged', and 'plateau'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice inaccuracies throughout the text, including 'porportions', 'margian', 'flactuations', 'outset', and 'propotion'. Furthermore, using 'most populated country' instead of 'highest urbanization rate' indicates a slight misunderstanding of the data type. Because these errors do not severely impede communication but prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'started with almost 15% population and rose significantly'). There are several grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as comma splices ('Overall, It is evident'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('compared to a small margian from Philippines'). Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear. The grammatical control reflects the descriptors for Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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