Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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 shows the percentage of people living in urban areas in four countries. Countries are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. It describes from 1970 to 2020 and also predicted for 2030 and 2040.

To dive into specific, in 1970, Indonesian residents were not preferring to live in urban areas during this period. Approximately, 5% of residents were living there. However, in 2040, the percentage will drastically increase and will take place at 60%. Additionally, in 1970, Thailand population who were living in cities were around 19%. Nevertheless, In 2040, it is predicted that around 45% of public will shift to cities.

Furthermore, in 1970, 30% of are living in cities during this period. Although, it is predicted that 85% of people will move to the urban areas.

Overall, the percentage of people living in cities increased in all four countries, while some countries experienced a more significant rise than others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting a summary of the data but containing significant omissions and inaccuracies. While the writer attempts to report on the four countries, the data provided is often imprecise or incorrect compared to the visual source. For instance, the starting figure for Indonesia is reported as approximately 5%, whereas the graph indicates 14%. Furthermore, the description of Malaysia is incomplete, stating only that '30% of are living in cities' without mentioning the terminal year or the full extent of the trend. The overview is overly brief and does not fully capture the main trends across all four countries. To reach a higher level, the response needs to select and report key features more accurately and provide a more comprehensive overview of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text demonstrates some organisation, but there is no clear overall progression. The response is divided into short paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences and ideas is frequently disjointed. For example, transitioning abruptly with 'To dive into specific' is unnatural, and the paragraph structure breaks down with incomplete information, such as the dangling sentence 'Furthermore, in 1970, 30% of are living in cities during this period.' Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, such as 'Although, it is predicted that...' where a contrasting conjunction is misused. Referencing is also unclear in places, making it difficult to follow which country or data point is being discussed. Improving paragraph coherence and using logical connectors more naturally would significantly strengthen this aspect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey a basic message. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'drastically increase' and 'shift to cities', but these attempts are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation. For example, phrases like 'Indonesian residents were not preferring to live' and 'percentage will... take place at 60%' are unnatural and impede smooth communication. There are also missing words and lexical inaccuracies, such as 'Thailand population who were living' instead of 'the population of Thailand living'. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary and use less common lexical items with greater precision and natural collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple or frequently faulty complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that cause difficulty for the reader. For instance, tense and aspect errors appear in phrases like 'It describes from 1970 to 2020 and also predicted for 2030 and 2040', where passive and active voice are confused. Prepositional and article errors are also common, such as 'in 1970, Thailand population' missing necessary determiners and possessives, and '30% of are living' containing a missing noun. To improve, the writer must work on basic grammatical accuracy, ensuring correct verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and the appropriate use of articles and prepositions in complex sentence patterns.

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

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