Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-26

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 gragh provide data about the proportion of the population in cities of four Asian countries between 1970 to 2020,also gives prediction for 2030 and 2040.

Overall,it canbe clearly seen that Malaysia and Indonesia total population saw considerable increase during given time frame and also increases in future.While in Philippines,proportion of population saw a surge for certain period of time .

In 1970,almost 13% of total polpulation lived in cities in Indonesia.There was a slight rise in percentage till 2000 but after that huge rise was noticed in proportion and by 2020,nearly 50% of total population moved to cities.In 2024,this percentage will reach to almost 60 percent.There was huge surge in percentage of population in Malaysia which started from 30% in1970 but by the end of 2020,it almost reached 70% and in 2040 it will reach its peak which is nearly 80 percent.

In Philippines,30 percent of total population preferred to liove in cities in 1970 but in 1990 it went up and saw its highest percentage during given period which was nearly 50%.While in case of Thaliland,there was a slight increase in proportion which started from almost 20% in 1970 but in 2020 it reached nearly 28%.In furtue ,there will be small increase in percentage

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include an overview noting substantial growth in Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as a rise in the Philippines. However, the account is only partly accurate and some important features are missing. Indonesia is described as rising only slightly until 2000, although its urban share increases from about 14% to 30.5%, then climbs to 52% by 2020. You also give “2024” instead of 2030 and misreport Thailand at about 28% in 2020; the chart shows roughly 33.5%. The overview would be stronger if it compared all four countries and noted that Malaysia is highest by the end, while Thailand remains lowest. Include the main projected figures and trends more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and country-specific details in the final paragraphs. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “In 1970” and “In Philippines” help signal changes of focus. However, the comparisons are mostly presented as separate country accounts, so relationships between the series are not consistently clear. Some linking is also awkward or incomplete: “While in Philippines” begins a contrast without a fully connected clause, and the final sentence about future growth in Thailand is left without a figure or clear comparison. Use paragraphing to group countries with similar patterns, and connect key contrasts—for example, Indonesia’s rapid later growth versus the Philippines’ fluctuation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “surge,” “slight rise,” and “reached its peak,” which helps describe movement rather than merely list figures. However, some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “total population saw considerable increase” does not clearly identify the urban share, and “preferred to live in cities” suggests a choice rather than a measured statistic. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “gragh,” “polpulation,” “liove,” “Thaliland,” and “furtue,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “urban population” and “the proportion living in cities,” and check spelling carefully. Vary repeated descriptions of increases with accurate alternatives such as “rose,” “climbed,” or “grew steadily.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “but” and “which,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in sentence boundaries, tense and clause construction. For example, “The line gragh provide data” needs subject–verb agreement, while “between 1970 to 2020” uses an incorrect preposition pattern. The overview’s “Malaysia and Indonesia total population saw” also has an unclear possessive structure, and “In furtue, there will be small increase” lacks an article. Several sentences run together after full stops because spaces and punctuation are missing. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and use complete, clearly punctuated sentences; this will make your range more controlled.

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