Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-25
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 comprises the information about the ratio of the population lived in cities in foud different asian countries with the timespan of 1970 to 2020 and provide the probabilities for 2030 and 2040.
The first country is philippines, the graph shows that there is ups and down from 1970 to 2020 with the highest percentage of almost 50% in 1990 and then gradually decrease in 2000 and 2010 but start increasing again in 2010 to 2020. With 31% in 1970 and 45% in 2020 along with projection of 45% in 2030 and in 2040 it is nearly equal to 51%.
The second country is malaysia, its graph gradually increase in each year from 1970 to 2040 with prediction of almost 80% in 2030 and 82% of 2040. The next country is thailand having asteric on line in graph. Thailand in 1970 was almost 20% and in 2020 it is round about 30% with the probability of 35% in 2030 and 40% in 2040.
The last country is indonesia, with about 14% of population in 1970 it is also increase continously in each year and in 2020 the percentage is nearly equal to 50% with predicted percentage of 55% in 2030 and almost 60% in 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 address all four countries and covers the major trends across the given period, including the projections for 2030 and 2040. However, the response lacks a clear, overarching overview highlighting main features, such as Malaysia and Indonesia experiencing the fastest urbanisation growth compared to the more fluctuating or moderate trends in the Philippines and Thailand. Certain figures contain inaccuracies; for example, describing the Philippines' 1990 peak as 'almost 50%' when it reaches roughly 48%, and noting Indonesia's 2020 percentage as 'nearly equal to 50%' when it stands closer to 52%. While the main points are reported, the lack of an integrated overview and minor data misinterpretations place this in the band 5 range.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is arranged into paragraphs, with an introduction followed by a country-by-country breakdown. However, the organisation feels mechanical and lacks overall progression, relying on a rigid 'the first country is..., the next country is...' structure rather than grouping trends or synthesising information. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes repetitive. For instance, sentences are often strung together with coordinating conjunctions rather than sophisticated transitional links. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of content is somewhat disjointed, leading to an overall coherence score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently reusing terms such as 'percentage', 'population', and 'country'. There are spelling mistakes such as 'foud' instead of 'four', 'asian' with a lowercase letter, and capitalization errors in country names like 'philippines' and 'malaysia'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'probabilities' and 'projection', but word choice is occasionally awkward, such as describing a line graph as having an 'asteric on line in graph'. The lexical range is minimally adequate to convey the data, corresponding to a band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student displays a limited range of grammatical structures. Most sentences are simple or poorly controlled complex forms, often joined by comma splices or conjunctions (e.g., 'The line graph comprises the information about the ratio of the population lived in cities in foud different asian countries with the timespan...'). There are frequent errors in verb tense and voice, such as 'population lived' instead of 'living', 'it is also increase continously' instead of 'it also increased continuously', and subject-verb agreement issues. These errors frequently cause strain for the reader, placing performance in the band 5 category.
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