Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-14

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 5.0)

This line graph illustrates thats the information about four asian specific countries thats living in cities between the 1970 to 2020, with prediction for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, the population of malaysia at dramatically increased at the start of this period from 1970 to 2040.Whereas, the population in thailand was low as compared to two other countries indonesia and philippines in same period.

Firstly, the average percentage of malaysia about 30 percent at the start 1970 after they dramatically increased from the end of 2040,like for indonesia their ratio is about 10 percent at initial time but they increased upto 40 percent in 2040.

Secondly, the population of philippines, their percentage was about 20 percent at the start of 1970 after few years they sharply reached upto 40 percent at the end of 2040, Also thailand much less population in 1970, as compared to other three, but they gradually increased year by year at last of 2040 their percentage about fifty percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the four countries and the broad upward movement in urban populations, and you include an overview. However, the overview is incomplete and some key comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. Malaysia rises strongly, but it does not increase at the same rate throughout; Indonesia also grows substantially and is projected to reach about 64%, not 40%, by 2040. The Philippines fluctuates before rising, rather than simply reaching about 40% at the end, while Thailand is not the lowest by 2040. The response gives few reliable figures and does not clearly compare the countries at the beginning and end. Select the main trends accurately, then support them with a few representative values.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overall statement and two body paragraphs. Sequencing words such as “Overall,” “Firstly” and “Secondly” help signal the stages of the response. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the body paragraphs move between countries and time periods without a clear comparison plan. For example, the first body paragraph shifts from Malaysia to Indonesia, while the second combines the Philippines and Thailand. Some references, such as “their ratio” and “they,” are also unclear. Group the countries by meaningful trends—for example, the strongest growth versus more moderate growth—and use clear references and linking phrases to connect comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “percentage,” “increased,” “gradually” and “prediction.” This gives the response a basic range suited to the topic. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. Phrases such as “population … at dramatically increased,” “their ratio,” and “sharply reached upto” are not natural ways to describe the data. Country names and “Asian” also need consistent capitalisation. Build a more precise set of trend expressions, such as “the proportion living in cities,” “rose sharply,” “remained relatively stable” and “is projected to reach,” and check that each phrase fits the trend being described.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “Whereas” and clauses beginning “after.” However, these structures are often faulty, and frequent errors affect clarity. For example, “the population of malaysia at dramatically increased” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “between the 1970 to 2020” uses an incorrect preposition structure. Several sentences also have problems with articles, agreement and punctuation, such as “their percentage was about 20 percent … after few years they sharply reached.” Sentence boundaries are sometimes unclear, particularly where a comma joins separate ideas. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and projected future forms, and use shorter, complete sentences before adding more complex clauses.

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