Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-22

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 depicts data of population living in cities between 1970 to 2020, and with future possibilities for year 2030 and 2040 in four countries of asian continent. The population is given tinto percentage.

On the whole, it is expected that Malaysia would have highest number of population percentage. Whereas, Thailand would have lowest percentage by the 2040.

Begining from the year 1970 Indonesia was at the lowest in terms of population that was 12%. In every decade its population was kept on rising by 2020 and is expected to increase 5 times by 2040. Similarly, Thailand population was increased till 1990 then by 2020 saw a static progress and after 2020 sudden upsurge in population percentage is visible which is almost double from 1970.

Philippines in first decade saw almost no increase in population, then after 1980 sudden rose in population is visible by 1990, then a decline till 2010 is visible, later on in last 3 decades population increas3

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the general subject and include some relevant trends, such as Malaysia’s strong rise and the Philippines’ fluctuation. However, the overview is incomplete and partly inaccurate: Thailand is not expected to have the lowest urban share in 2040; the Philippines is lower, at about 56%, compared with Thailand at about 50%—so Thailand is in fact the lowest, but this comparison should be stated alongside Malaysia’s projected lead. Several figures and trends need closer checking: Indonesia starts at about 14%, not 12%, and its share rises to around 64% by 2040, which is not five times its starting level. The response also ends before reporting the later Philippine trend fully and omits Malaysia and Indonesia’s key comparisons. Select the main overall patterns and support them accurately with a few figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing individual countries. Sequencing within the country descriptions is generally chronological, and phrases such as “Similarly” and “then” help show progression. However, the report does not develop a clear comparison across all four series, and the final paragraph stops mid-sentence, leaving the account unfinished. Some linking is awkward or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “then” to connect changes. Organise the body around the most important comparisons—for example, Malaysia’s sustained lead and Indonesia’s rapid growth—rather than describing only selected countries. Complete each paragraph and use clear references to years and series so the reader can follow the trends without having to infer connections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “decline,” “static progress,” and “upsurge,” and the meaning is usually recoverable. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing a line graph: “population was kept on rising,” “sudden rose,” and “highest number of population percentage.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “Begining,” “tinto,” and “increas3,” which reduce the accuracy and polish of the report. Aim for a smaller set of precise graph-description phrases, such as “the proportion of the population living in cities,” “rose steadily,” and “remained relatively stable.” Check spelling and use “share” or “percentage” rather than treating the figure as a population count.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences and time clauses, for example, “Philippines in first decade saw almost no increase … then after 1980…,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in tense, articles, and sentence construction occur frequently: “between 1970 to 2020” uses the wrong preposition pattern, “Thailand population was increased” has an incorrect passive form, and “its population was kept on rising” is awkwardly constructed. The overview also contains a sentence fragment beginning “Whereas.” Punctuation and sentence boundaries need attention, and the final sentence is incomplete. Use straightforward past-tense clauses for historical data and “is projected/expected to” for forecasts; then check each sentence for a clear subject and verb before adding more complex linking.

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