Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-09

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 tracks the data about the proportion of the population in four different Asian countries staying in cities between 1970 to 2020, with assumptions for 2030 and 2020.

Overall, the graph shows the percentage of the population living in cities. The most popular city was recorded malaysia with highest percentage in coming years as well.

First of all, the population in philippines was reported 31% in 1970. The percentage remianed contsant 1980, then it shows a sharp increase to 50% in 1990. and it shows a gradual downward trend till 45% in 2010. It's showing upward trend in future till 2040 with 50%. Whereas, malaysia was noted 30% in 1970 and its showing upward trend throughout the entire years and ends up with 80% in 2040.

On the other hand, the population in thailand was reported 19% in 1970. it rose upto 30% in 1990. and it remains stable till 2020 and again reach the highest level upto 50% in 2040. At last, the indonesia started 15% in 1970. and steadily increasing throughout the years and ends up with 60% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the general subject and report trends for all four countries, including Malaysia’s strong rise and Indonesia’s steady growth. However, the overview is limited: “the most popular city” is unclear and does not accurately describe the measure, and the key comparison that Malaysia is projected to remain highest while Thailand is lowest is not clearly summarised. Several details are inaccurate or incomplete: the Philippines rises to about 48% in 1990, not 50%, and its 2040 figure is about 56%, not 50%; it also does not remain constant from 1970 to 1980. Thailand rises gradually after 1990 rather than staying stable until 2020. Select the main comparisons and report the projected figures more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an opening, an attempted overview and separate discussion of the countries. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression is weakened by the repeated sequence “First of all,” “On the other hand,” and “At last,” which does not always show a meaningful contrast or relationship. The overview is also vague, and the country-by-country paragraphs read mainly as lists of figures rather than a connected comparison. Some sentence breaks, such as “in 1990. and it shows,” interrupt the flow. Grouping countries by contrasting trends and using clearer links between past data and projections would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant language for describing trends, including “sharp increase,” “gradual downward trend,” “upward trend,” and “steadily increasing.” These phrases help communicate the broad movements in the graph. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task. “The most popular city” misrepresents a percentage of people living in cities, while “assumptions” is not the right word for forecast data. Repeated use of “reported,” “shows,” and “ends up” also makes the description less precise. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “remianed,” “contsant,” and “malaysia.” Use standard terms such as “urban population,” “projected,” and “accounted for” to improve precision and formality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and joined sentences, and the reader can generally follow the main trends. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “between 1970 to 2020” uses an incorrect preposition pattern, and “The percentage remianed contsant 1980” lacks the preposition needed before the year. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent: “and” begins sentences after full stops, while country names are not consistently capitalised. The opening sentence’s “with assumptions for 2030 and 2020” also creates an unclear grammatical relationship. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and use complete sentences with consistent punctuation.

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