Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-10

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 graph demonstrates the facts and information about percentage of population of four several countries including Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia living an urban life from 1970 to 2020.

Initiating from the percentage of Indonesia whose percentage was approximately twenty percent in 1970 and incremented until 1990 and remained constant 30 percent onward years and it arose to forty percent in 2030 and forty percent in 2040.

Malaysia ,on the other hand , begun from thirty percent and continued to rise every year and became eighty five percent in 2040 which broke all the streaks.

Thirdly, Thailand initiated from almost twenty percent and went increasingly upward and reached thirty percent in 1990 and remained aligned in the next years. Furthermore, it got fifty percent in 2040 , making it averagely lowest of all.

Nevertheless, Indonesia started from fifteen percent and kept increasing throughout the years and surpassed sixty percent in 2040,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all four countries, but the data reporting is significantly inaccurate. For example, you state Indonesia started at 20% in 1970, whereas the graph shows it closer to 10%. Furthermore, you mention Indonesia twice with conflicting data, and the description of Thailand's trend is factually inconsistent with the provided visual. While you attempt to identify main features, the lack of accuracy in reporting the figures means the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your text with the graph to avoid misrepresenting the data, and provide a clear overview of the main trends rather than just listing individual country data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. Phrases like 'Initiating from' and 'remained aligned' are unnatural in this context. The transition between paragraphs is weak, and the logical progression is hindered by the factual errors mentioned previously. While there is an attempt to use linking words, the overall flow is disjointed. To improve, focus on using transition signals that accurately reflect the relationship between ideas, such as 'In contrast' or 'Similarly', and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic terms like 'percentage' and 'number' without variation. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'living an urban life' (should be 'living in urban areas') and 'broke all the streaks' (which is informal and inaccurate). Some phrasing is awkward, such as 'averagely lowest of all'. To reach a higher band, you need to incorporate a wider range of vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'plateaued', or 'experienced a steady climb', and ensure that your word choices are precise and appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect preposition usage ('living an urban life'), subject-verb agreement errors ('Malaysia... begun'), and awkward phrasing ('remained aligned in the next years'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is high enough to distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses when describing past and future trends, and proofreading for minor mechanical errors.

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

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