Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-02

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 propotion of residents in four Asian countries(Phillipines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia) residing in cities from 1970 to 2030.

Overall,the population of Malyasia, Thailand and Indonesia rose gradually over time period. While the proption of populace of Philippines and Thailand fluctuated over the years.

Malyasia accounted for 30% of the population in 1970, reached approximately 45% in 1990 ,then steadily increased and reached its peak of over 80% in the final year.Thailand's population followed almost a simliar pattern but it started from over 10% of population ,grew approximately 30% in 2000, remained almost unchanged till 2020 , and reached just to 48% in 2040.Thailan accounted for almost 20% in 1970 and gradually increaded to about 45% in 2040.

In contrast populace of Phillipines started from over just over 30% , reached to a peak of about 50% in 1990 before dropping to almost 42% in 2010, and agin rose in reaching its highest percent of approximately 50% in the final year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover the main features of the graph, presenting an overview and some specific data points. However, the task is only partially addressed due to significant omissions and confusion regarding the data and countries. For instance, the student states that the graph ends in 2030, ignoring the predictions for 2040. Furthermore, there is confusion in the body paragraphs, such as mixing up Thailand and Malaysia's trends ('Thailand's population followed almost a similar pattern... Thailan accounted for almost 20% in 1970 and gradually increased to about 45% in 2040'), which leads to repetitive and inaccurate reporting of the information. To improve, all countries and the full timeframe should be accurately represented without mixing up data points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has some basic organisation, utilizing an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for different countries. However, there is no clear overall progression due to confusing sequencing and referencing errors, such as mentioning Thailand twice with contradictory details. Cohesive devices are used minimally and sometimes inappropriately, such as 'While the proption of populace of Philippines and Thailand fluctuated over the years,' which creates a fragmented impression. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is weak because of contradictory statements and imprecise referencing. To move to a higher band, the student should ensure clear logical progression between sentences and use a wider, more accurate range of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The lexical resource used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, attempting vocabulary related to data trends such as 'rose gradually,' 'fluctuated,' and 'peak.' However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('propotion' instead of proportion, 'Phillipines,' 'Malyasia,' 'simliar,' 'increaded') and inappropriate word choices ('populace of Phillipines' instead of the population of the Philippines). These errors occasionally cause difficulty or distraction for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to expand their vocabulary range, use less common lexical items with greater precision, and eliminate spelling mistakes through careful proofreading.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with occasional attempts at complex forms that are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tense consistency, missing prepositions, and article usage, such as 'reached to a peak' and 'in reaching its highest percent.' Punctuation and spacing errors are also present, such as missing spaces after commas ('Overall,the population'). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, the student should focus on mastering basic sentence structures, ensuring accurate verb forms for past and future trends, and reducing the frequency of grammatical errors.

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

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