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 illustrates the percentage of population in the asian countries in some mentioned cities from the year 1970 to the year 2020 . The graph also elaborates the prediction of the population for the year 2030 and 2040. From 1970 till 2020 Malaysia and indonesia can be seen with the most rise in the population while Philippines and Thailand can be seen having some rise but not particularly compareable to Malaysia and and Indonesia. In the start Philippines can been seen having the highest population and behind it is Malaysia tailgaiting it , Third is Thailand and 4th is Indonesia . From the year 1970 to the year 1980 Philippines did have some rise in population but it was a very low percentage in rise and Malaysia from 1970 to 1980 had a drastic rise . Indonesia and Thailand also saw some great rise in its population from 1970 to 1980 but in these mentioned years between these two countries Thailand started from above and maintained its position. Throughout the years from 1980 to 2000 Indonesia matched the percentage of population with Thailand which means Thailand didnt have as much rise as Indonesia. On the other hand it can be seen that Malaysia dominated the whole graph by obtaining the highest position and even though philippines had started from the highest population , it still didnt manage to keep the pace with Malaysia. Now till 2020 Thailand sort of just maintained its stature and didnt exactly see drastic rise and Indonesia till 2020 even beat philipinnes but still couldnt beat or match Malaysia . So till 2020 Malaysia has been seen dominating the whole graph through out the years and just behind it stands Indonesia tailgaiting it. On third stands Philipinnes which initially started with the most population but saw dramatic fall. On 4th is Thailand which started at 3rd but couldnt keep up the pace. If we see the predictions for the future , It is stated on the graph that Malaysia will keep on dominating the graph by standing at first place in 2030 and 2040 and Indonesia will also see some growth and will maintain its second position and on third will be philippines seeing some rise but still not that much to change its status to number 2. In the last will be Thailand , close to phillipines but not matching it
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers all four countries and spans the provided timeframe including the predictions for 2030 and 2040. However, the interpretation of the data contains inaccuracies regarding what the graph shows (e.g., confusing the percentage of the urban population with the total 'population' size, stating Philippines had the 'highest population' in 1970 when it was actually the highest urbanisation percentage, and incorrectly stating Philippines saw a 'dramatic fall' when the trend generally rose over the period). The overview is weak, relying on a somewhat confusing narrative rather than a clear summary of main trends. Ideas are present and extended, but the conceptual misreadings of urbanisation rates as population numbers pull the task response down to a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay lacks proper paragraphing, presented instead as one long, dense block of text, which significantly hinders readability and logical progression. While basic cohesive devices and transition words are used (e.g., 'From the year 1970 to', 'On the other hand', 'If we see the predictions for the future'), the lack of paragraph division creates a cluttered structure. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the mechanical flow between sentences means the response fails to meet the criteria for Band 6 fully, earning a solid Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is somewhat repetitive and informal. Phrases such as 'tailgaiting it' (misspelled), 'sort of just maintained its stature', and 'dramatic fall' demonstrate an adequate range for basic communication, but lack the precision required for Academic Task 1. There are noticeable spelling errors ('compareable', 'philipinnes', 'phillipines') and inappropriate word choices ('population' instead of 'percentage of the population living in cities'). The lexical range is limited and contains errors that cause some distraction, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. Run-on sentences and punctuation issues are prevalent throughout the text (e.g., missing commas, improper capitalization of countries mid-sentence like 'indonesia' and 'philipinnes'). Grammatical errors include issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition use. While meaning is generally recoverable, frequent errors in basic and complex structures prevent the response from achieving a Band 6, placing it at a Band 5.0.
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