Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-19

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 illustraion shows information about the proportion of the population in four asian countries living in the cities from 1970 to 2020 and also compares with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the percentage of the population living in cities increased in all four countries over the period. Malaysia had the highest figures for most of the period and is projected to remain the highest in 2040, while Indonesia is expected to experience the most significant overall growth.

It is quite evident from graph that in 1970, the proportion of Indonesia and Thailand contains 13% and 19% of population lives in these countries while this figure for other two countries Philippine and Malaysia contains 30% and 31% of population. Malaysia and Philippines population concides with each other in the year 1990 wich is around 50%. On the hand Thailand and Indonesia population also concides within the year 2000 which is upto 29% and Indonesia and Philippines population concides in the 2010 wich is upto 42%.

Furthermore Thailands population will be increased upto 60% which is above than the other two countries Indonesia and Philippine in the year between 2030 and 2040. Malaysia contains the the highest percentage of population which is upto 95%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You provide a relevant overview, noting that urbanisation rises overall and that Malaysia remains the leading country, and you include several comparisons between countries. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the claim that Thailand will reach 60% and exceed Indonesia is incorrect: Thailand is projected to be about 50% in 2040, while Indonesia reaches roughly 64%. Malaysia’s 2040 figure is about 84%, not 95%. The overview also misses Indonesia’s strong rise and the fact that the Philippines fluctuates before increasing again. To strengthen the report, select the main trends accurately and support them with clear, representative figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. The overview gives the reader a useful general direction, and linking expressions such as “Overall” and “Furthermore” help signal stages. However, the detailed comparisons are crowded into one paragraph and are not consistently easy to follow; the repeated use of “concides” makes the sequence of years and countries difficult to track. The final paragraph also introduces forecasts without clearly comparing all four series. Grouping the historical trends separately from the projections, and using clearer references such as “the Philippines” or “the latter,” would create more logical progression and make the comparisons easier to understand.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some appropriate task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “projected,” “percentage,” and “overall growth,” which helps communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and several word-choice or collocation problems make parts of the report awkward, such as “population contains 13%,” “population concides,” and “increased upto.” Spelling errors, including “illustraion,” “wich,” and “Philippine,” are also noticeable. Use precise verbs for chart data—for example, “stood at,” “rose to,” “fell,” and “was similar to”—and check country names and spelling. More accurate phrasing would make the comparisons clearer and demonstrate better control of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of sentence forms, including a complex overview sentence and clauses describing comparisons across years. However, errors are frequent, and some sentences are difficult to interpret. For example, “the proportion of Indonesia and Thailand contains 13% and 19% of population lives” combines incompatible sentence structures; “Malaysia and Philippines population concides” also lacks clear grammatical relationships and articles. There are problems with subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence construction, as well as inconsistent tense when describing past data and forecasts. Practise building a clear subject–verb pattern for each comparison, such as “The urban share in Indonesia stood at 14% in 1970,” and use past tense for historical figures and future forms for predictions.

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

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