Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19
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 graoh provides data on the proportions of urbain areas' citizens in different countries between 1970 and 2020 with a prediction of the future couple decades.
Overall, Malasya tends to account for the highest proportion of population living in cities. All four countries showed an upward trend over the period, despite the fluctuation in Philippines figure.
In 1970, philippines seem to account for the most significant percentage with just over 30%, compared to 30% for Malasya. In contrast, just below 20% of Thai people lived in cities and about 15% of indonesian lived in urbain areas.
Malasya and Indonesia increased at the same high rate reaching about respectively 70% and about 50% in 2020. Similarly, the proportion of urbain citizens in thailand went up to about 30% in 1990 before remaining stable for 3 decades until 2020. However the percentage philippines remained constant at about 30% before rising to just under 50% in 1990. that figure dropped steadily reaching about 42% in 2010 and went up to 45% in 2020.
It is predicted that all these prportions will climb with the same rate reachin 80%, 60
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 student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main trends and making comparisons between the four countries. An overview is successfully presented in the second paragraph, noting that all countries experienced an upward trend and that Malaysia accounted for the highest proportion. However, there are some data inaccuracies and minor misinterpretations of the graph (e.g., stating that the Philippines started at 30% and remained constant before rising, whereas the graph shows fluctuations and a different starting point in 1970). Additionally, the response cuts off abruptly at the end ('reaching 80%, 60'). Nevertheless, the main features are sufficiently outlined to meet the requirements of Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text has a clear overall arrangement with an introductory paragraph, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific data points and periods. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'Similarly', though some referencing is slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is generally logical, although the final paragraph is incomplete. Overall progression is maintained, but minor flaws in referencing and the cut-off ending place this firmly in the Band 6 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for task 1, such as 'proportions', 'upward trend', 'fluctuation', and 'proportion'. However, there are several spelling errors ('graoh' for graph, 'urbain' for urban, 'Malasya' for Malaysia, 'prportions' for proportions). Word choice is occasionally awkward or imprecise ('increase at the same high rate'). While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the basic message, the frequent spelling mistakes and limited lexical precision prevent the score from reaching Band 6.0, resulting in a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including comparative structures and temporal clauses (e.g., 'In 1970, philippines seem to account for the most significant percentage...'). There are noticeable grammatical and punctuation errors throughout, such as capitalization issues ('philippines', 'Malasya', 'thailand'), subject-verb agreement slips ('philippines seem'), and missing punctuation leading to run-on structures or incomplete sentences at the end of the text. These errors occasionally cause slight confusion but do not completely impede communication, aligning well with Band 5.5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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