Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-24
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 information about total population living in cities in four Asian countries, between 1970 to 2020. The population is measured in percentage.
Overall, the striking aspect from the figure is that the city dwellers of Malaysia shows the highest growth in population, while countries like Philippines, and Thailand's city population increased steadily over the time period.
In detail, Malaysia's city residence experienced a rapid growth over the 50 years, from 30% to almost 75%. The increase in Indonesian city population also showed a noticeable change. The growth of Indonesian city dwellers became 55% in 2020, from 12% in 1970.
Subsequently, Philippines and Thailand go through a slight rise of city population. Philippines city population was around 32% in the year 1970, and over the time period it reach into 55%. Thailand also experienced the same rise, the total city dwellers in Thailand was 18% and it reached at 48% in the year between 1970 to 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 all parts of the task by reporting information for the four countries across the given time period. An overview is provided, noting that Malaysia experienced the highest growth while other countries increased steadily. However, there are several inaccuracies in data reporting compared to the factual reference. For instance, the student states that Malaysia's population reached 'almost 75%' (it reached 76% in 2020 and higher later), and that Indonesia started at 12% in 1970 (actual was 14%). Furthermore, the summary includes confusing details, such as stating Thailand reached 48% 'in the year between 1970 to 2020', conflating a span with a specific end-point value. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of precision and some misread figures pull the score down to Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific country trends. Logical sequencing is attempted, using cohesive markers such as 'Overall', 'In detail', and 'Subsequently'. However, referencing and paragraph flow are sometimes awkward or mechanical. For example, 'Subsequently, Philippines and Thailand go through a slight rise' creates a weak logical link. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate for a short response, but the internal cohesion within the body paragraphs occasionally feels disjointed, warranting a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with terms like 'illustrates', 'urban population', 'steady', and 'rapid growth'. However, there are notable lexical and collocation errors, such as 'city dwellers of Malaysia shows' (subject-verb agreement), 'Malaysia's city residence' (wrong word form; should be residents), and 'go through a slight rise' (less natural collocation than 'experience a slight rise'). Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision. Spelling is generally accurate, but vocabulary limitations and word choice errors place this at a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph illustrates information about... which...' and 'While countries like Philippines, and Thailand's city population increased...'. However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies (e.g., mixing present and past tenses: 'shows' versus 'increased'), missing pluralization or articles ('Philippines and Thailand go through', 'city population was around...'), and awkward phrasing. These errors occasionally disrupt the reading flow, though communication is generally maintained. This performance aligns with a Band 5.5 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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