Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-04
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 indicates the data of percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in the cities Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia from 1970 to 2020 with future predictions for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, Philippines dominated with the highest percentage of citizens who choose to live in cities among all the decades. In contrast, in the initial years Indonesia recorded the least percentage of population which increase gradually over the time.
In the year 1970, Philippines and Malaysia recorded with the dominated percentage with almost 30% of the citizens lived in cities. While Indonesia stood with least percentage of citizen who choose to live in cities with almost 15% of the total population. In the year 2020 population of the Malaysia escalate sharply with almost 75% of the population who live in cities. However, Thailand represents with 30% off the population who choose to live in cities.
In the year 2040, Philippines's population in cities will increase significantly with 85%. As so, Indonesia's population also soar considerably with almost 60% of the citizens. 45% of the population in cities will show by Thailand.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the task only partially and contains notable factual inaccuracies regarding the visual data. For instance, the student claims that the Philippines 'dominated with the highest percentage' across all decades and will reach 85% in 2040, whereas the graph clearly shows that Malaysia holds the highest urbanisation rate from 2000 onwards (reaching 83.5% in 2040, while the Philippines only reaches 55.5%). Furthermore, the overview is flawed and contradictory, stating that Indonesia recorded the least percentage of population in the initial years and then making unsupported assertions. While the writer attempts to select and report some main features, the significant misreading of the data and lack of accurate comparisons prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response shows some organisation with an introductory paragraph, an overall statement, and body paragraphs reporting data. However, there is no clear overall progression of ideas, and the logical connection between sentences is frequently disrupted. Cohesive devices are sometimes used awkwardly or inaccurately, such as the abrupt transitions between paragraphs. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information lacks internal cohesion and clear comparative focus. Referencing is occasionally unclear, which leaves the reader struggling to follow how the data points relate to one another across the timeline.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic trends, utilizing terms such as 'increase gradually', 'escalate sharply', and 'soar considerably'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'recorded with the dominated percentage' and 'population of the Malaysia escalate', which cause some difficulty for the reader. The range of vocabulary is restricted largely to common descriptors, and attempts at less common phrasing often result in unnatural collocations or inaccurate word forms, placing the lexical performance at this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer uses a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple or faulty complex constructions. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies, missing prepositions, and incorrect verb forms, such as 'recorded with the dominated percentage', 'Thailand represents with 30% off the population', and '45% of the population in cities will show by Thailand' (passive voice misuse). These frequent errors in grammar and word patterns cause strain and difficulty for the reader in interpreting the intended meaning.
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