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 raph illustrates about the proportion of the population in four Asian countries living in cities between 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030and 2040.

Overall, it is clear that all category exprienced a significant upward trend over the period shown. By the end of timeframe Malaysia emerged as the most dominant, whereas Thailand recorded the lowest number.

Looking in the details, Malaysia has started with 30% population living in the city in 1970. By contrast, the Philippines has approximately 1% percent higher in Malaysia in 1970, but in the end of period Malaysia is 50% higher comapare with the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Indonesia exprienced a increased within the timeframe. In the 1970 Indonesia started around 10% population and by the end of the period it recorded a 60% population living in the city. Conversely, Thailand also exprience a upward trend but in the end of the timeframe it show it recorded the lowest population living in the city with around 40%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise across the four countries and correctly note Malaysia’s leading position at the end. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Thailand is not the lowest by 2040, as the Philippines is about 56% while Thailand is about 50%. Several comparisons are also unclear or incorrect. The Philippines began about 2 percentage points above Malaysia, not 1%, and Malaysia’s 2040 figure is about 28 points higher, rather than 50% higher. The account gives little coverage of the middle years, including Malaysia’s strong rise and the Philippines’ fluctuation. More accurate endpoint comparisons and a clearer selection of key changes would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “By contrast,” and “Meanwhile” help signal relationships between points. However, the progression is uneven: the first detail paragraph compares Malaysia and the Philippines, while the second shifts to Indonesia and Thailand without clearly organising the countries or time periods. Some references are difficult to follow, particularly “in the end of period” and “it show,” where the subject is unclear. The contrast marker “Conversely” does not express a clear contrast between the two rising trends. Grouping the countries by their patterns and using precise references would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “upward trend,” “predictions,” and “timeframe,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make parts awkward or unclear. For example, “most dominant” is not a natural way to describe the highest urban population share, and “lowest number” is imprecise for percentages. “A increased” and “population living in the city” are also unsuitable expressions. Spelling errors such as “raph,” “exprienced,” and “comapare” are noticeable. Aim for accurate terms such as “urban population,” “percentage,” and “rose,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including a contrast structure with “By contrast” and a time clause beginning “by the end of the period.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between figures hard to interpret. Examples include “all category exprienced,” “Malaysia has started,” “the Indonesia exprienced a increased,” and “it show it recorded,” which involve agreement, tense, article, or verb-form problems. The sentence comparing the Philippines and Malaysia is also structurally unclear. Use past tense for the historical data, check subject–verb agreement, and build comparisons with a clear subject and verb. More accurate sentence patterns would make your ideas easier to follow.

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