Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28
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 graph below illustrate the percentage of population in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia from 1970 to 2020, including predictions for next two decades.
overall, the percentage of population living in cities in all four countries increased. Malaysia shows the most growth of population living in cities whereas Philippines remained the last in growth of population in cities.
in 1970, 30% population of Malaysia lived in cities and it increased substantially in the next five decades to reach 75% in 2020 and is expected to increase with the same rate in the next two decades to reach 82% till 2040. Similarly, Indonesia also shows significant growth, starting from 12% in 1970 reaching 50% in 2020 and it is also expected to reach 60% in 2040.
Thailand shows steady growth of population living in cities in first two decades to reach 28% in 1990 starting from 19% in 1970 which remained constant for next three decades whereas it is expected to increase steadily from 2020 to 2040. Malaysia shows most fluctuations as its population in cities was 31% in 1970 which remained constant till 1980 before increasing significantly to 45% till 1990 which decreased steadily to 38% till 2010 before a slight increase of 1% till 2020 reaching 46% and it is expected to reach 52% till 2040.
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 attempts to summarise the main features of the line graph, including an overview in the second paragraph. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reading the data. For instance, the student states that Malaysia's urban population in 1970 was 30% (correct) but later in the body paragraph confuses the data for Malaysia and the Philippines, attributing fluctuations to Malaysia that actually belong to the Philippines. Furthermore, starting points and endpoints contain minor data misinterpretations (e.g., Indonesia starting at 12% rather than 14%). While the overview captures the general upward trend, the confusion between country data series significantly limits task achievement, leading to a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for individual countries. However, the logical progression is undermined by the confusing mix-up of data series within the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'whereas', and time markers ('in 1970', 'in the next five decades') are used, but referencing becomes unclear due to inaccurate data allocation (e.g., mixing Malaysia and Philippines statistics). Paragraphing is attempted but lacks clear, distinct thematic control over the data comparisons. Overall, coherence is moderately impaired, fitting Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with attempts at less common phrasing such as 'substantial', 'significant growth', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and repetition (e.g., repeating 'percentage of population living in cities' multiple times). Spelling and word formation are mostly fine, but the lexical range lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands due to the persistent repetition and minor collocation slips. This corresponds to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and time-clause complex sentences ('...starting from 12% in 1970 reaching 50% in 2020 and it is also expected...'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, such as missing capitalisation at the beginning of sentences ('overall', 'in 1970'), missing articles ('30% population'), and run-on sentences with coordinating conjunctions. Despite these errors, meaning is generally conveyed, placing the response at a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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