Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-02

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 illustrate information on hike in population persentage between indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines in asia from 1970 to 2020. Given graph also predict about population in 2030 and 2040.

Overall, The percentage of all given four countries are increasing gradully from 1970 to 2040.

In 1970, the population of Thailand and Indonesia starts from below twenty percent while Philippines starts from slightly above 30% and Malaysia starts from exact 30%. All these rising year by year.

Philippines become stable till 1980 and gradully increase in 1990 then fall till 2010 and then continously increases to above 80%. Malaysia continously increases from 1970 to 2040 at 50% it just intercept philippines in 1990.

Thailand rise till 1990 then be stable till 2020 and get major hike from 2020 to 2040 at 50%. Indonesia starts from mid of 10% to 20% and continously increases and goes till 60% at 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall upward direction and include all four countries, with some relevant starting figures and trend descriptions. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear. Most notably, the Philippines is said to rise “to above 80%,” whereas the graph shows about 55.5% in 2040; Malaysia, not the Philippines, reaches above 80%. The claim that Malaysia “intercept[s]” the Philippines in 1990 is also incorrect: Malaysia is slightly lower then, and overtakes it later. The overview is too general to highlight the important contrasts, such as Malaysia ending highest and Indonesia showing strong growth. Select the main comparisons accurately and distinguish observed figures from forecasts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and further details about the countries. This gives the reader a general route through the information. However, progression within the body is uneven, and the country-by-country statements sometimes combine several stages without clear links. For example, the Philippines sentence moves from stability to a rise, a fall, and a forecast increase in one sequence, while “All these rising year by year” does not connect clearly to the preceding sentence. The repeated use of “and” and “then” makes cohesion mechanical, and the paragraphing does not clearly group the strongest comparisons. Organise the details into logical periods or contrasting country groups, and use precise references to make each trend easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “percentage,” “stable,” “increase,” and “fall,” so the main topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes obscures the data. “Hike” is not a suitable general description of gradual change, and “intercept” does not express that one line passes another. Repetition of “increase” and “starts” also limits precision. There are noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “persentage,” “gradully,” and “continously.” Build a more varied set of accurate trend expressions, such as “rise steadily,” “peak,” “decline,” and “overtake,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can usually identify the countries and broad trends. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in sentence formation, agreement, articles, and verb forms. For example, “The graph illustrate” lacks subject–verb agreement, while “the population of Thailand and Indonesia starts” has an awkward singular construction for two countries. “All these rising year by year” is not a complete grammatical sentence, and “Philippines become stable” uses an incorrect verb form. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Overall, The percentage.” Practise accurate sentence patterns for describing trends, especially subject–verb agreement and past-tense reporting, before adding longer clauses.

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