Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-28

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 illustrates the information about four different Asian countries living in cities for nearly half a century from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Population is shown in percentages.

Overall, population of all four countries has increased significantly, Malaysia had a substantial rise in population whereas Thailand had noticeable change too. Indonesia and Philippines hold second and third place.

Firstly, Malaysia started with below 30% population in the year 1970 but ended at 80% population in the year 2040, this shows a dramatic increase in the population. Philippines started significantly in the year 1970 but had a lot of fluctuations throughly and ended at nearly 50% population.

Secondly, Indonesia's population had increased dramatically started with 15% only in the year 1970 but ended up at second place with more then 50% in the year 2040. In addition Thailand's population remained lesser than other countries with only 20% in the year 1970 and went at 30% in the year 2040 which shows subtle change in growth of the population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad upward trend and note Malaysia’s strong growth, while also mentioning the Philippines’ fluctuations. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Indonesia, rather than the Philippines, is second by 2040, and Thailand is not the lowest throughout the period because the Philippines falls below it around 2010. Several figures or descriptions are also imprecise: Malaysia begins at about 30%, not below 30%; the Philippines ends near 56%, not 50%; and Thailand reaches about 50% by 2040, not 30%. The response selects relevant features, but the comparisons and coverage of the later years need to be more accurate and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by two paragraphs describing the countries. Sequencing words such as “Firstly” and “Secondly” help signal the progression, and the reader can generally follow the comparisons. However, the organisation is somewhat mechanical, and some links between ideas are unclear. For example, “Indonesia and Philippines hold second and third place” does not specify the time period, while the later paragraph gives Indonesia second place in 2040. Grouping countries by their trends and using clearer time references would improve progression. The overview could also be separated more distinctly from the detailed comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant trend vocabulary, including “dramatic increase,” “fluctuations,” and “subtle change,” so the main ideas are understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing a proportion of people living in cities. Repeated use of “population” makes the account less precise, and phrases such as “started significantly” and “had a lot of fluctuations throughly” do not communicate the intended trend naturally. “Noticeable change” is also vague when the figures show a gradual rise. Aim for accurate terms such as “urban population share,” “rose,” “declined,” and “recovered,” and use them to describe the specific movements shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and most of the meaning remains understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical control are frequent enough to make some statements awkward or unclear. For example, “Indonesia's population had increased dramatically started with 15%” combines clauses without a clear grammatical link, and “went at 30%” uses an incorrect preposition pattern. There are also missing articles or possessives in phrases such as “population of all four countries” and “Indonesia and Philippines,” as well as inconsistent tense choices when describing past data and predictions. Build more reliable sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past forms for historical figures and future forms for projections.

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