Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-21

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 multiple line graph illustrates the percentage of the population in four Asian nations living in urban area from 1970 to 2020, with its future projection for 2030 and 2040.

Considering from an overall perspective, it can be apparently observed that citizens in all three cities are increasing gradually. However, percentage of Philippines was seen fluctuating throughout the period.

To begin with, Malaysia was recorded at 30% in the beginning which than slowly increased to nearly 47% in 1990 before witnessing a surge to approximately 78% in 2020 and still it will rise till around 82% in 2040. In contrast, Philippines observed for 31% in 1970 which remained relatively stable till a decade and than it rise to approximately 49% in 1990 before observing downward trend at around 40% in 2010 and again it experience a growth and in future it will stood near 55% in 2040.

Furthermore, Thailand recorded almost 20% in the starting period which gradually increased to approximately 31% in 1990 and remained relatively stable till 2020. However, than this figure rose to around 49% in 2040. Indonesia recorded at his lowest figure with approximately 12% which than gradually increasing and stood at around 30% in 2000. Surprisingly, the figure were rapidly increasing and finally as per the future forecast it will stood at approximately 62% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all four countries and spans the entire time frame from 1970 to 2040, making relevant comparisons such as contrasting Malaysia's dramatic upward trajectory with the Philippines' fluctuations. However, the overview is somewhat weak and contains imprecise phrasing ("citizens in all three cities are increasing gradually", when there are four countries and the metric is percentage of population living in cities). Additionally, there are minor data misreadings, such as stating Indonesia recorded "approximately 12%" in 1970 when the chart shows 14%. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the main trends and features are successfully reported. This corresponds to Band 6.5 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction followed by body paragraphs dedicated to grouping the countries. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as "To begin with", "In contrast", and "Furthermore". However, referencing and cohesion can be somewhat mechanical or awkward at times, as seen in phrases like "However, than this figure rose" or repetitive use of "recorded at". Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction and body sections, providing an overall logical arrangement. This places the response solidly in Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to graphical data such as "fluctuating", "surge", "trend", and "future forecast". However, there are numerous lexical and collocation errors throughout the text, including "urban area" (instead of urban areas), "than this figure rose" (using 'than' instead of 'then'), and awkward phrasing like "stood near" or "in the starting period". While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the score from reaching a higher band. This performance aligns with Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating future predictions ("it will rise till around 82% in 2040") and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors involving tense consistency, prepositions, and word forms, such as "it rise to approximately 49%" (incorrect tense/form), "Indonesia recorded at his lowest figure" (passive voice/pronoun error), and "the figure were rapidly increasing" (subject-verb agreement). Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear, justifying a Band 6.0 score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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