Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-30
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 percentage of the population of cities in four Asian countries between 1970 and 2020 and the prediction from 2030 and 2040.
Overall, it is clear from the graph that all countries had a massive increase through the years . In addition Malaysia and Indonesia are expected to dominate the graph, whereas are expected to be at the buttom.
According to what is shown, at the beginning of the period from 1970 to 2000 Philippines were at the top with just above 30% of the total population which is not far from Malaysia with exactly 30% of population. However for Thailand and Indonesia both of them were under 20% with Thailand being slightly above . In the following years both Malaysia and Indonesia start growing exponentially with Malaysia being dominated and the Philippines had a minor drop.
In terms of the years 2010 to 2040, Malaysia is still dominating the line graph and it's increasing steadily and reached over 80% of the population . In the other hand Indonesia is increasing exponentially and outstand both Philippines and Thailand in the year 2020 with just above 50%. Both Thailand and the Philippines are growing steadily after minor drops in the past.
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 covers all parts of the task by reporting data across the given timeframe from 1970 to 2040, including predictions. An overview is provided, noting the general upward trend and highlighting Malaysia and Indonesia. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting specific details, such as stating that the Philippines started at the top in 1970 with just above 30% (Malaysia was 30% and Philippines 32%, but Malaysia actually surpassed it quickly, and the phrasing 'whereas are expected to be at the buttom' in the overview is incomplete). Furthermore, some trends are imprecisely described, such as claiming Malaysia was 'dominated' instead of dominating. Despite these minor misreadings and incomplete sentences in the overview, the main features and comparisons are adequately addressed, earning a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall arrangement and is divided into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then two body paragraphs dividing the time periods. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'According to what is shown', 'However', and 'In terms of the years'. However, some referencing is unclear or grammatically faulty, such as 'whereas are expected to be at the buttom' lacking a subject, and 'Malaysia being dominated' when the writer clearly means dominating. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but logical progression within sentences occasionally suffers due to awkward phrasing. This places the response comfortably at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'illustrates', 'prediction', 'dominate', 'exponentially', and 'steadily'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'percentage of the population of cities' instead of 'percentage of the population living in cities', 'at the buttom' (spelling error), and confusing 'dominating' with 'dominated'. Less common lexical items are attempted but not always handled accurately. Spelling is generally acceptable apart from 'buttom'. These limitations reflect the criteria for Band 5.5, rounded to 6.0 based on the overall adequacy of meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and time conjunctions (e.g., 'The line graph illustrates percentage of the population... between 1970 and 2020 and the prediction from 2030 and 2040'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including missing articles ('illustrates percentage', 'at the buttom'), an incomplete clause ('whereas are expected'), and preposition errors ('prediction from 2030 and 2040' instead of 'for'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede overall communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor where a mix of simple and complex forms is used with some persistent errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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