Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-23
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 CHART ILLUSTRATES INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION LIVING IN CITIES IN AISAN COUNTRIES SUCH AS PHILLIPPINES, MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA BETWEEN 1970 AND 2020, AS WELL AS PREDICTIONS FOR 2030 AND 2040.
OVERALL, IT IS QUITE EVIDENT THAT NUMBER OF POEPLE LIVING IN THE CITIES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE TIME. ADDITIONALLY, THAILAND SHOWED RELATIVELY LEAST
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TIMEFRAME, PHILIPPINES, MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA RECORDED NEARLY 32%, 30%, 18% AND 14% RESPECTIVELY. AMONG THESE, PHILLIPPINES WAS THE HIGHEST FIGURE, FOLLOWED BY MALAYSIA, WHILE ONLY 14% OF POPULATION LIVING IN CITIES IN INDONESIA IN 1970.
THEREAFTER, THE FIGURE FOR MALAYSIA ROSE STEADILY FROM 30% TO REACHING AT PEAK APPROXIMATELY 85% BY THE 2040. IN CONTRAST, PHILLIPPINES DECLINED FROM ROUGHLY 48% TO 44%, ALTHOUGH MINOR FLUCTUATIONS WERE OBSERVED DURING THE TIME PERIOD. REGARDING INDONESIA, THE FIGURE FLUCTUATED MODERATELY BETWEEN 14% TO NEARLY 65%.
BY 2040, MALAYSIA HAD OVERTAKEN PHILLIPPINES AND BECOME LEADING CATEGORY. AT THE END OF THE PERIOD, PHILIPPINES, MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 60%, 85%, 50% AND 65% RESPECTIVELY.
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 by reporting the main features of urban population percentages in the four countries from 1970 to 2040. An overview is attempted, noting the general upward trend, although it contains some incomplete thoughts. The student reports key data points accurately, such as the starting figures in 1970 and final predictions for 2040. However, there are some inaccuracies in describing intermediate trends, such as stating the Philippines declined from roughly 48% to 44% (whereas it fluctuated and ended higher at 55.5%), and minor contradictions in the final figures mentioned. Overall, the main trends and comparisons are adequately presented, but greater precision in tracking data would elevate the score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, body paragraphs addressing initial data and subsequent trends, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TIMEFRAME', 'THEREAFTER', and 'IN CONTRAST'. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, and the progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, such as the abrupt transition in the final paragraph regarding Malaysia overtaking the Philippines. Referencing is generally clear, though referencing errors and repetitive sentence structures mildly disrupt the overall flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for a task 1 response, including terms like 'PERCENTAGE', 'PREDICTIONS', 'FLUCTUATED', and 'APPROXIMATELY'. However, there are several spelling errors ('AISAN', 'PHILLIPPINES', 'POEPLE') and awkward lexical choices or collocations, such as 'RELATIVELY LEAST' and 'REACHING AT PEAK'. The use of all-caps throughout the text also detracts from the professional register expected in Academic writing. The vocabulary is adequate to convey the core information, but frequent lexical slips limit the score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, utilizing clauses such as 'AS WELL AS PREDICTIONS FOR 2030 AND 2040' and 'ALTHOUGH MINOR FLUCTUATIONS WERE OBSERVED'. However, there are several grammatical errors and omissions, such as missing articles ('NUMBER OF POEPLE', 'LEADING CATEGORY'), incorrect prepositions ('AT PEAK', 'BETWEEN 14% TO NEARLY 65%'), and tense inconsistencies. While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede smooth reading and demonstrate limited control over complex syntactic structures.
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