Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-26

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 changes in four countries living in cities over the period of fifty years and prediction of rise of this population in 2030 and 2040.

There is upward trend of people's preferring city life in all countries during this tenure.

Malaysia is top of the list with 30% population that was in 1970 which reaches its peak of 75% and to be expected 80% in 2040, While on the other hand Philippines also stands at 30% but their trend to cities was not increased as Malaysia and it was 45% in 2020 Which is expected to be 50% in 2040.

Thailand started from 20% which was in 1970 remained constant till 2020 at almost 30% which is expected to 45% in 2040.

Indonesia which was lowest at 12% in 1970 showed the increase to 50% in 2020 which will gain its maximum 60% in 2040.

In overall there have been an upward trend and to be expected same in future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all four countries and provides a general overview of the trends, thus addressing the main requirements of Task 1. However, some data points are inaccurate or poorly supported; for instance, stating that Malaysia started at 30% and reached 75% lacks full precision compared to the chart, and stating Thailand started from 20% in 1970 when the actual figure was 18% shows minor inaccuracies. The overview is rather basic and lacks depth. Furthermore, the phrasing 'four countries living in cities' contains a grammatical error that slightly confuses the subject matter. To reach a higher band, the response needs more accurate reporting of data and a more cohesive, comprehensive overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response exhibits an attempt at logical organization by grouping information by country in separate paragraphs. However, the progression is disjointed, and the use of cohesive devices is minimal and sometimes awkward, such as 'While on the other hand' and 'In overall'. Paragraphing is handled in a basic way, separating each country into its own mini-paragraph, but the transitions between them are weak. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the logical flow of comparisons. More varied and accurate cohesive ties are needed to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but it is repetitive and limited in range. Phrases like 'upward trend', 'reaches its peak', and 'expected to be' are used multiple times. There are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'tenure' instead of 'period', and 'trend to cities' instead of 'urban population' or 'urbanization rate'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the lexical control is not fully developed enough to demonstrate flexibility or precision. To improve, the student should incorporate a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary related to trends and percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the changes in four countries living in cities'), incorrect prepositions ('at top of the list'), and faulty relative clauses ('that was in 1970'). Sentences containing predictions often lack proper modal verbs or tense consistency, as seen in 'which is expected to 45%'. These errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader, although they do not completely impede overall communication.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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