Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-27
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 shows the percentage of people living in cities in four different countries from 1970 to 2020.
overall, the percentage of people living in cities increased in all four countries.Malaysia had the highest figures, while indonesia showed lowest the period.
In 1970, the percentage of people living in Malaysia was 30%, while philippines was 32%. The percentage in malaysia then increased steadily and reached approx 83% in 2040. In comparison, the figure for the philippines was fluctuated before rising to about 56%.
Turning to thailand and indonsia, Thailand started at arounded 18% in 1970 and increased gradually to about 49% in 2040. Indonsia had the lowest figure initially, at approximately 14%, but it rose considerably and reached around 61% by 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 line graph, noting general increases across all four countries and identifying Malaysia as having the highest figures. However, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 123 words. Furthermore, several data points are inaccurate or poorly expressed; for instance, stating that the percentage for the Philippines 'was fluctuated' rather than detailing specific start and end points for the projected year 2040, and missing key details from the visual data. The overview is also rudimentary. Because the length requirement is not met and the data reporting is somewhat incomplete and imprecise, this performance aligns with Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into four brief paragraphs, starting with an introduction and an overall statement, followed by body paragraphs grouping the countries. However, the logical progression is hindered by poor capitalization and punctuation (e.g., starting sentences with 'overall,' or 'indonesia'). Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes repetitive. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall structure feels disjointed due to the brevity and lack of sophisticated linking words. This demonstrates features typical of Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for basic reporting, including terms like 'percentage', 'increased steadily', and 'considerable'. However, there are numerous spelling and capitalization errors throughout the text, such as 'indonesia', 'philippines', 'thailand', 'indonsia', and 'arounded'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and attempts at less common lexical items are absent or marred by mechanical errors. The lexical resource is characteristic of a Band 5.0 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'In 1970, the percentage of people living in Malaysia was 30%, while philippines was 32%.' However, grammar and punctuation control is weak. There are noticeable errors such as 'was fluctuated', missing capital letters for proper nouns ('philippines', 'malaysia', 'thailand', 'indonesia'), and awkward phrasing like 'while indonesia showed lowest the period.' These frequent errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, placing the response at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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