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 graph illustates about the proportion of the population among four Asian regions residing in cities from 1970 to 2020, also with predictions for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, Malaysia's population was the highest among all cities and in future it will again be the highest of all. However, the number of people in Thailand were fewer in comaprison to all and will still remain lower in future.
Looking closer to the graph, 30% of the population was noticed in 1970 regarding Malaysia and then it followed a consistent increase till 2020 reaching almost 75% of the total population. It will further surge in future and will cross above 80% of population by 2040. Indonesia was the second largest followed by Malaysia, started with 13% of population in 1970 and touched exactly 50% of population in 2020. In the future it will further expand by almost 12%.
Philippines began with 32% in 1970 but fluctuated too much in the middle years and gained a population of 45% in 2020 and will cross 50% in the upcoming years. Thailand had the most lower percentage of just 18% emerged in 1970 and did not crossed 30% till 2020 and remained at only 29%. It will face a majore increase in future and will directly reaches to 45% which will be a greated growth.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four countries. An overview is provided right at the beginning, noting general trends and comparative heights, which satisfies key requirements. However, some ideas and details are under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, the student states that Indonesia was the second largest followed by Malaysia, which is confusingly phrased, and misquotes some starting points and predictions slightly compared to the visual data. The progression of the data is generally outlined, but deeper analysis of specific turning points, such as Malaysia's steep rise or Philippines' fluctuations, could be extended further to fully elevate the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the writing into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific countries. Information and ideas are generally sequenced logically, starting with general comparisons and moving into detailed breakdowns. However, cohesion at times feels mechanical or slightly faulty. For example, transition phrases like 'Looking closer to the graph' are somewhat informal, and referencing is not always clear, such as ambiguous pronoun usage in the second paragraph ('in future it will again be the highest of all'). Paragraphing is present and separates the overview from body details, but logical progression within paragraphs occasionally stumbles due to abrupt shifts between country data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed for the task, successfully communicating the general upward trends and comparisons using terms like 'proportion', 'surge', 'fluctuated', and 'predictions'. Less common vocabulary is attempted, such as 'residing', 'consistent increase', and 'expand', but these attempts are occasionally accompanied by minor inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, or phrasing (e.g., 'Asian regions' instead of 'countries', 'most lower percentage', 'majore increase', and 'greated growth'). Fortunately, these lexical slips and spelling errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the intended meaning, which aligns well with an adequate working range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordinate clauses and future/past tense shifts (e.g., 'from 1970 to 2020, also with predictions for 2030 and 2040'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, such as unnecessary prepositional intrusion ('The graph illustates about...'), awkward relative or conjunction links, and tense inconsistency in future predictions ('will directly reaches to 45%'). Despite these errors in grammar and sentence structure, they rarely impede communication, and many sentences remain clear and comprehensible.
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