Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-18
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 bar chart compares population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with prediction for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, Malaysia is a country which population is growing year by year and prediction of growing population in coming year as well. Thailand is a country which population is growing but very slowly then other Asian countries.
However, from 1970 Malaysia population is increasing from 30% and reached to 72% of population in 2020 and predicted to reach 84% in 2040. In Philippines population started from 32% in 1970 in addition it reached up to 49% in 1990 but the population started decreasing and reached to 45% in 2010 but after that it started increasing year by year and expected to reach 54% in 2040.
Moreover, in 1970 Thailand population started from 18% and it started increasing year by uear reached at 30% in 2020 and predicted to reached 48% in 2040. In 1970 Indonesia population started from 13% and increased year by year although expected to reach at 60% in 2040
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student identifies the main countries and covers the time frame from 1970 to 2040. However, there are notable errors in reading the chart data; for instance, the student states that Thailand reached 30% in 2020 (which is closer to 33.5%) and mislabels the visual format in the introduction by calling it a 'bar chart' instead of a line graph. While an overview is attempted, it is awkwardly phrased and lacks precision. The response addresses the task partially rather than fully, earning a band score of 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into basic paragraphs with a short introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing individual countries. However, logical progression is weak, and cohesive devices are repetitive or awkward, such as starting multiple sentences with 'In [Country] population started from...'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and linking between sentences relies heavily on basic time markers rather than sophisticated cohesive relationships. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks smooth transitions, resulting in a band score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently reusing verbs like 'started', 'reached', and 'increasing'. There are noticeable inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'prediction of growing population in coming year as well' and 'very slowly then other Asian countries'. Spelling mistakes also occur, such as 'uear' instead of 'year'. The lexical range is minimally adequate for the task, corresponding to a band score of 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex sentences often contain grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'Malaysia is a country which population is growing' (incorrect relative pronoun) and missing prepositions or articles. Frequent errors in verb tense consistency and subject-verb agreement can cause some difficulty for the reader, though the general meaning remains understandable. This performance aligns with a band score of 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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