Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-29

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 the proportion of urban population residing in four different cities from 1970 to 2020 and projected figures up to 2040.

Overall, portions of residents in all four cities have risen over the time and predicted to keep rising. Philippines and Malaysia recorded the biggest portion of Asian residents in the early years, however after the year 2000 Malaysia was definitely the more popular option. Indonesia and Thailand were the less popular choices in the 1970s although, over the course of period the numbers rose significantly.

In the year 1970, only 30% of Asian residents were living in Philippines, however the numbers kept increasing consistently till 2020 and are supposed to keep rising in the upcoming years. At the same time, Thailand accounted for around 30% Asian residents in 1970 and grew dramatically to about 50% in 1990, yet the figures began to drop afterwards to about 40% in 2010, and shows a considerable growth since then.

Indonesia accounted for the least amount of Asian residents in 1970 with only 15%, nonetheless the number of residents have hurriedly risen in the given period to about 50% in 2020 with the prediction to grow in the next 20 years. On the other hand, Thailand had about 20% Asian residents in 1970 and with a gradual increase came to 30% in 2020, though they are projected to grow significantly in the next 20 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by summarizing data from the line graph regarding urban population percentages in four countries. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in interpreting the graph data. For example, the student writes that 'only 30% of Asian residents were living in Philippines' in 1970 (which is close to the 32% figure), but then mixes up the data points and countries later in the text, confusing Thailand and the Philippines details. Furthermore, the prompt refers to four countries, not four 'cities', which indicates a misreading of the prompt. While a clear overview is attempted, the numerous data misinterpretations and confusion between countries prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is structured into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, providing a basic framework for the text. However, logical organization suffers due to confusion in the body paragraphs where countries are mixed up. For instance, the discussion of Thailand and the Philippines contains contradictory or confused data assignments. Cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'overall', 'at the same time', 'on the other hand'), but referencing and logical flow are occasionally faulty because of the inaccurate data reporting. Paragraphing is present, but the overall progression is hindered by the conceptual confusion within the body sections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to discuss trends and percentages, using terms such as 'proportion', 'fluctuate', 'significant', and 'projected'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and data reporting (e.g., referring to countries as 'cities', and imprecise phrasing like 'hurriedly risen'). Less common lexical items are attempted, but vocabulary limitations and confusion in subject matter lead to errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical control is inconsistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and time clauses (e.g., 'The line graph illustrates...', 'while the numbers kept increasing...'). There is an attempt at using future projections ('are supposed to keep rising'). However, grammatical errors persist, particularly with prepositions and tense consistency (e.g., 'portions of residents... have risen over the time and predicted to keep rising' missing a verb; 'over the course of period'). While these errors do not completely obscure meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall control of grammar and punctuation.

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