Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-04

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)

At first i see from among the 4 countries of asia there are Philippines, malaysia, thailand , and indonesia.

The percentage of the population of philippines was above 30% in 1970 and as of 2020 its population was below 50% after that the prediction says it will cross 50 % population in 2040.

Afther the philippines the population of malaysia was 30% in 1970 while its population reaches to around 80% in 2020 and the prediction says it will cross 80% in 2040 and can go higher.

The population of thailand in 1970 was below 20% in the year 1970 and in the year 2020 its population was around 30% after 2020 the prediction of year 2040 says the population will cross 40% .

The final country is indonesia and its population in 1970 was very low around 14% to 15% and as the year 2020 arrives the population of indonesia reaches near 30% and the prediction for 2040 is very close to 50%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all four countries and mentions the start, end, and prediction years. However, it lacks an overview of the main trends, which is a requirement for a high band score in Task 1. The report is purely descriptive, listing data points for each country individually rather than synthesizing the information or highlighting significant comparisons (e.g., Malaysia's rapid growth compared to the others). To improve, you should include an introductory sentence that paraphrases the prompt and a clear overview paragraph summarizing the most striking trends, such as the overall upward trajectory across all nations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized by country, which provides a basic structure. However, the lack of paragraphing makes the text feel like a list of sentences rather than a cohesive report. There is a lack of cohesive devices; the text relies heavily on repetitive sentence structures ('The population of... was...'). To improve, use linking words such as 'In contrast,' 'Furthermore,' or 'Meanwhile' to connect ideas and create a logical flow between the different countries and time periods.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'population' and 'percentage' in almost every sentence, which makes the writing monotonous. There is little attempt to use academic vocabulary or synonyms to describe trends (e.g., 'increase,' 'climb,' 'projected to reach'). To achieve a higher band, try to vary your word choice and use more precise terms to describe the data, such as 'urbanization rates' or 'growth trajectory.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response consists mostly of simple sentences with some errors in subject-verb agreement and punctuation. For example, 'i see' should be capitalized, and 'reaches to' is grammatically incorrect (it should be 'reaches'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, which limits your ability to demonstrate grammatical range. To improve, focus on using a variety of sentence types, such as relative clauses or complex sentences using 'while' or 'whereas' to compare data points.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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