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 line graph illustrates the proportion of Asian countrie's population living in urban areas, namely the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from 1970 and 2020, with predictions from 2030 and 2040.
Overall, it is evident Malaysian population has the highest percentage, whereas the Philippine was lowest, while Thailand continually increased but Indonesia gradually reached.
It can be seen that the percentage of Malaysia was 30% in 1970. After that it increased in 1990 by 45% and jumped throughout 2040 by 80%. Meanwhile the population of philippian around 30% in 1970 and also fluctuated in 2010 and steadily stable in 50% by 2030.
Additionally, Thailand's ratio was 20% in 1970 and it was enhanced from 1990 to 2030, while over the period the Indonesian proportion was lowest at 15% in 1970.
Moreover, the population rate was continued to grow from the year of 1970, and the population of Asian countrie's population will growing steadily untill 2040
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 cover the main trends in the graph, mentioning Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that Malaysia jumped 'throughout 2040 by 80%', which is imprecise, and claims the Philippine percentage was around 30% in 1970 and steadily stable at 50% by 2030, which misinterprets the actual fluctuations and projected figures. Furthermore, the overview is overly simplistic and grammatically flawed ('whereas the Philippine was lowest, while Thailand continually increased but Indonesia gradually reached'). While the response addresses the prompt generally, the data reporting lacks precision and important comparisons are missing or unclear. This aligns with Band 5 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing individual countries. However, the overall progression is weakened by poor referencing and mechanical cohesive devices. For example, sentences like 'After that it increased in 1990 by 45% and jumped throughout 2040 by 80%' lack clear referents and logical flow. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information feels disjointed. Transitional phrases are basic or misused, creating a somewhat halting reading experience. Overall coherence is maintained at a rudimentary level, fitting the Band 5 criteria.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic summary but lacks range and precision. The student uses terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', and 'population', but also makes several word choice and lexical errors, such as 'Asian countrie's' instead of 'Asian countries'', 'philippian' instead of 'the Philippines', and 'enhanced' instead of 'rose' or 'increased'. There is limited use of less common vocabulary, and spelling/morphological issues detract from the quality of the writing. These limitations reflect a Band 5 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles, incorrect prepositions, and faulty verb tenses ('the population rate was continued to grow', 'will growing steadily untill 2040'). Subject-verb agreement issues also appear, such as 'Malaysian population has... whereas the Philippine was lowest'. While the meaning is generally decipherable, the high frequency of errors causes distraction for the reader and places the response firmly in the Band 5 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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