Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-16

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 percentage of people living in cities in the philippines, malaysia, thailand and indonisia between the years 1970 and 2020 with future predictions between the years 2030 and 2040.

Overall, indonisia and thailand started as the lowest percentage compared to the philippines and malaysia.

In 1970, Malysia and the philipines started with basically at the same level with 30%. in 1990 the philippines population increased by almost 20%, but on the other hand Malaysia took over and started rising over 80% in 2040 which makes it the higher population compared to the other three, however the philippines level decreased by 10% in 2010 to reach its peak of 55% in 2040.

Thailand and Indonesia both stood at around 30% in 2000, after which Indonesia grew much faster.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the countries and time span, and note the broad rise in Indonesia and Thailand, but the response reports only a small selection of the graph’s main features and lacks a clear, accurate overview of the overall changes. Several details are incorrect: Malaysia was at about 30% in 1970, but the Philippines was slightly higher, at about 32%; Malaysia reaches roughly 84% in 2040, rather than rising “over 80%” as a trend beginning at an unspecified point; and the Philippines does not reach its peak in 2040, since its highest figure is about 48% in 1990. Its fall to 2010 is around 5 percentage points, not 10. The response is also 19 words below the required minimum. Include a fuller overview and accurate comparisons across the period, including Indonesia’s strong growth and Malaysia’s consistently high finish.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: an introduction, an overall statement, and details about the countries. This gives the reader some sense of the topic, and linking phrases such as “on the other hand” and “after which” show an attempt to connect information. However, the progression is not consistently clear because several countries and time points are crowded into one long paragraph, and the overview is too limited to guide the comparisons. The sentence beginning “In 1970” shifts abruptly from the starting figures to 1990, 2040, and 2010, making the chronology difficult to follow. Organise the body into clearer comparisons—for example, Malaysia and the Philippines in one paragraph, then Thailand and Indonesia—and use time markers in chronological order.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant language for describing a line graph, including “percentage,” “increased,” “decreased,” “stood at,” and “grew much faster.” These choices make the general subject understandable. However, the range is limited, and some wording is imprecise or awkward for reporting data: “started with basically at the same level” and “which makes it the higher population” do not express the comparisons naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors in country names, including “indonisia,” “Malysia,” and “philipines”; accurate spelling is important when naming the graph’s categories. Build a more precise set of trend and comparison phrases, such as “rose steadily,” “remained relatively stable,” and “exceeded,” and check the spelling of all labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at longer, connected sentences, so there is some variety. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation recur. For example, “Malysia and the philipines started with basically at the same level” has an unnecessary “with,” while “which makes it the higher population” is not a well-formed comparison. The long sentence beginning “In 1970” joins several separate claims with commas and “however,” creating a run-on structure. Capitalisation and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “in 1990” after a full stop. Use shorter, controlled sentences for the data and practise comparative structures such as “Malaysia’s figure was higher than the Philippines’.”

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.