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 graph illustrates the percentage of the residents in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia beginning from 1970 to 2020, as well as the predictions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the percentage of the people living in Malaysia and Indonesia has significantly grown from 1970 to 2020. these two cities remain with the highest percentage of population in the predicted years

Population of Malaysia has risen from 30 percent to 70 over these years, while Indonesias population consisted of little more than 10% which is the lowest amongst other cities and grew up to 50 percent. It is clear that Thailands growth of the population is more stagnant than other cities. The population of Phillippines reaches the highest percentage at the year of 1990 and experiences downfall afterwards.

In the predicted years Malaysia remains with the highest percentage of population at 80 percent in both predicted

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the countries and time span, and report several relevant patterns: Malaysia and Indonesia rise, Thailand grows more slowly, and the Philippines peaks around 1990 before declining. However, the response only partially summarises the graph. The overview is unclear when it says Malaysia and Indonesia “remain with the highest percentage” in the forecast years: Malaysia is highest, but Indonesia is second, while the Philippines and Thailand also rise. Some figures are imprecise or incomplete: Malaysia reaches about 76% in 2020 and is forecast to reach about 84% by 2040, rather than 70% and 80% in both forecast years. The final sentence is unfinished, and the response is five words below the required minimum. Include a complete overview and compare the main changes more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from an introduction to an overview and then country-specific details, so the reader can follow the general subject. However, the organisation is not fully controlled: the overview is joined to the next paragraph without clear paragraphing, and the final sentence stops at “in both predicted,” leaving the comparison incomplete. Connections between ideas are also limited; for example, the Philippines’ peak and subsequent fall are mentioned without linking this pattern to the other countries’ continued growth. Use distinct paragraphs for the overview and key details, and connect comparisons with clear phrases such as “by contrast” or “whereas.” This would make the progression more complete and reduce the abruptness of the ending.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “grown,” “risen,” “stagnant,” and “downfall,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a graph description. “These two cities” refers to countries, not cities, and “population consisted of little more than 10%” does not clearly describe the urban share. “Grew up to” is also less suitable than a precise trend expression, while “downfall” is too strong for the Philippines’ moderate decline. Spelling and form errors such as “Phillippines” and “Indonesias” further reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “urban population,” “proportion,” “increased,” and “declined,” and vary the language used to report changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “while Indonesias population…” and the clause beginning “which is the lowest.” Some sentence structures communicate the main point, but errors recur and occasionally make relationships unclear. For example, “beginning from 1970 to 2020” is an awkwardly formed time expression, and “these two cities remain” has a subject-reference and agreement problem. The sentence about Thailand also lacks a clear grammatical link between “growth” and “population.” Capitalisation after the full stop in “these two cities” is incorrect, and the final sentence is incomplete. Practise complete, well-formed comparisons and check sentence boundaries, agreement, and punctuation before finishing.

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