Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28

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 graph shows the information about the percentage of population in four Asian countries. It contains the data from 1970 to 2020 and it also predicts for 2030 and 2040.

In 1970 all of the four countries had very less percentage of total population living in its cities. But after 1970 it started to increase gradually. In 1980's Philippines had almost 32 percent of total population living in its cities, Malaysia had 40 percent, Thailand had almost 23 percent and Indonesia had 24 percent of its total population living in cities. As the time passed people of these countries started living in its cities with the data given as of 2020. It shows that 2 of these countries that are Malaysia and Indonesia had a significant increase into their cities population while the other two countries had a slight decline in that ratio. Research shows that by 2040 more than 50 percent of population in these countries will be living in cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the graph, noting the starting point in 1970 and future predictions up to 2040. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student states that in 1980 Indonesia had 24 percent of its population living in cities, whereas the chart shows 17 percent. Furthermore, the claim that two countries experienced a decline by 2020 is factually incorrect according to the visual data, as all four countries show upward trajectories overall. The overview is also vague and lacks precise comparison of the most notable features, such as Malaysia's dramatic rise to become the most urbanised country. This places the response in Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into three very short paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The introduction is abrupt, and the body paragraph groups information somewhat haphazardly without a clear structural plan (e.g., mixing data from different years and countries in a confusing sequence). Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes repetitive, such as 'As the time passed' and 'It shows that'. Paragraphing is underutilised, as the entire body of information is crammed into a single block. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'its cities' without a clear antecedent. These issues restrict the score to Band 5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, relying heavily on phrases directly lifted or slightly adapted from the prompt, such as 'percentage of population', 'total population living in its cities', and 'Asian countries'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'very less percentage' instead of 'a very low percentage'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are minimal, with words like 'gradually', 'significant', and 'decline' used with limited precision. While meaning is mostly communicated, the lexical range is narrow and inadequate for a higher band, fitting Band 5 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are often clumsy or inaccurate. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('In 1980's Philippines had' and 'percentage of population... is') and prepositional mistakes ('increase into their cities population'). Punctuation is basic, and missing articles ('in 1980's Philippines had almost 32 percent') further detract from accuracy. Although the errors do not completely obscure the message, their frequency places the response firmly in Band 5.

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

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