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 line graph illustrates changes in the percentage of the population living in cities across four Asian countries, namely the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, over the period from 1970 to 2040.

Overall, it is evident that the figures followed varying trends over the given period, with some countries increasing overall. Malaysia recorded the highest figure, whereas Thailand had the lowest figure in 2040. However, Indonesia increased significantly over the period.

Looking at the details, the Philippines stood at approximately 31% in 1970 and then fluctuated slightly before reaching roughly 55% by the end of the period. Moreover, Thailand started at 19% in 1970 and increased continuously to approximately 48% in 2040.

Malaysia stood at 30% in 1970 and then rose sharply to approximately 82% by the end of the period. Furthermore, Indonesia started at roughly 14% and rose dramatically to

approximately 43% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student has attempted all parts of the prompt, providing an overview and selecting key features of the four countries from the graph. However, there are notable errors in reading the data points. For instance, the student states that Indonesia rose dramatically to approximately 43% in 2040, whereas the graph shows Indonesia reaching 64% by 2040 (43% was actually the figure for 2010). Furthermore, the overall length requirement of a minimum 150 words was not met, as the response contains 145 words. This results in a penalty under Task Achievement for under-length and data inaccuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is structured with a clear introduction and separate body paragraphs for individual countries, demonstrating a coherent overall arrangement. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the details', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader through the text. However, paragraphing could be improved by grouping countries with similar trends rather than treating each in isolation. Referencing and logical progression are generally adequate, but the mechanical use of transition phrases prevents it from achieving a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with appropriate reporting verbs and descriptors such as 'fluctuated slightly', 'rose sharply', and 'increased continuously'. There are attempts at less common phrasing, but some lexical choices are imprecise or inaccurate due to the data reading errors noted in Task Achievement. Spelling and word choice are mostly accurate and do not impede communication, placing the response comfortably in the Band 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases effectively (e.g., 'The line graph illustrates changes in...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and grammar and punctuation are generally well controlled. Although the range of structures is somewhat limited and the response is short, the grammatical accuracy is strong enough to meet the criteria for Band 6.5.

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

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