Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-15
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)
The line graph gives information about the percentage of the population in four asian countries living in the cities from 1970 to 2020 with predictions for 2030 and 2040.
By having a cursory glance , it is vivid that , Primarily , In 1970 , around the 33% of people living in Philippiness cities . This figure slightly increased and reached around 40% in 2010 . Afterthat , the data , about the 51% of individuals living in cities in 2040 . After words , In 1970 , around 29% of masses living in Malaysia cities . This figure increased slightly and reached around 42% and then the firgure increased suddnely abd showed higest percentages around 80% . While, which one of the highest percentages comapred to all cities .
Moving further ahead , it is lucid that , firstly , In 970 , around 19% of people living in Thailand cities . Furthermore , the data increased slightly around 26% in 1990 . Consequently , it is increased and reached about the 45% in 2040 .
Along with this , In 1970 , about 8% of population living in Indonesia cities . Where as , the figure slightly increased and reached around 60% in the end of year in 2040 .
By giving general overview , percentage increased all the cities . While, Malaysia had the highest percentages , people living in the cities . Hence , Indonesia had the showed lowest people living in the cities
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to report the main features and trends of the four countries shown in the line graph, meeting the word count requirement. However, there are notable data inaccuracies throughout the response. For example, the student states that in 1970 around 33% of people lived in Philippine cities (close to the actual 32%), but then misreports the 2040 figure as 51% (the actual prediction is 55.5%). More severely, data points for Malaysia and Indonesia are conflated or misreported in places, and the general overview is overly simplistic and contains grammatical distortions. Overall, the response addresses the task partially and lacks precision in data reporting, corresponding to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay uses paragraphing to separate different countries and includes a concluding overview paragraph. However, the progression of ideas is frequently disrupted by awkward and unnatural transitional phrases such as 'By having a cursory glance , it is vivid that , Primarily' and 'After words'. Cohesive devices are often misused or applied mechanically, creating a stilted reading experience. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall logical flow is hindered by fragmented sentences. These features place the response firmly in Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on phrases like 'percentage increased' and 'people living in the cities'. There are also numerous spelling and word choice errors, such as 'vivid' instead of 'evident', 'masses', 'firgure', 'suddnely', and 'abd'. Less common lexical items are attempted but mostly used inaccurately. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic of urban populations, the persistent errors and limited range restrict the score to Band 4.5, rounded to Band 5.0 for adequate task-related lexis.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting almost entirely of simple sentences with missing verbs (e.g., 'around the 33% of people living in Philippiness cities' lacking a main verb). Complex structures are rarely attempted, and when they are, they are faulty. Punctuation is heavily flawed, with excessive and misplaced spaces before commas and periods throughout the text. Frequent errors in basic sentence construction cause noticeable difficulty and strain for the reader, fitting the Band 4.5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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