Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-16
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 given graph shows the information about the percentage of the population from 1970 to 2020 in four asian countries also shows with prediction for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, Malaysia will have the higher percentage of total populatin.In coming years 2040 thailand will have the lowest percentages of total popultion.
In 1970 malasiya and philippines had same 30 percentage of total population. After that malasiya started to grow gradually and ended with 80% of total population which is the highest % among philippines.Philippines had like fluctuate from 1970 to 2020 andbetween 2020 and 2040 it will increse slowly and end with 55% of total population.
Between 1970 and 2000 thailand and indonesia had same % of total populaion.Indonesia will be rising in coming year.In 2000 thailand also had been increasing ang betwwen 2020 to 2040 it will be increasing with 45 of totaal population.although indonesia will have higher population than thailand.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by reporting information from the graph, including general trends and specific country data. However, the task achievement is limited by several inaccuracies and imprecise data reporting. For instance, the text claims that Malaysia and the Philippines had the same percentage in 1970 (30%), whereas the graph shows 30% for Malaysia and 32% for the Philippines. Furthermore, the overview is rather weak, stating only that Malaysia will have the highest and Thailand the lowest percentage, without capturing the overall upward trajectory across all four nations. Key features such as the dramatic rise of Malaysia and Indonesia are mentioned, but the overall development lacks precision and thorough comparison, placing this response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response shows some basic organization, separating ideas roughly by country groupings, but it lacks a clear overall progression and coherent paragraph structure. The text is dense, with a lack of proper spacing in places (e.g., '2020 andbetween', 'ang betwwen', 'totaal'). Cohesive devices are minimal, mechanical, and sometimes inaccurate or repetitive ('After that', 'In 2000'). Paragraphing is poorly handled, resulting in a single block of text that feels disjointed and difficult to follow logically. Pronoun referencing and signposting of time periods are frequently imprecise, causing confusion about which country or year is being discussed. This level of organization aligns with Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 for some discernible attempts at linking.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, relying heavily on terms like 'percentage of total population', 'grow', 'increase', and 'higher'. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'popultin', 'malasiya', 'increse', 'totaal', and 'populaion'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are minimal, and awkward phrasing—such as 'had like fluctuate'—impedes the flow and clarity of the message. The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with errors causing occasional difficulty for the reader, which corresponds to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent attempts at past and future time frames. There are numerous grammatical and mechanical errors, including missing articles ('the higher percentage', 'lowest percentages'), incorrect prepositions, and persistent capitalization errors for country names ('malasiya', 'thailand'). Complex structures are attempted but are frequently faulty or awkwardly phrased, such as 'In coming years 2040 thailand will have the lowest percentages of total popultion.' Frequent errors in tense consistency and sentence boundaries can cause difficulty for the reader, placing this performance firmly in Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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