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 line graph illustrates the rates, the percentage of the population living in four different countries from 1970 to 2040.
Overall, it is noticeable that Malaysia experienced a significant increase, whereas Thailand accounted for the lowest percentage throughout the year.
Turning to the details, in 1970, the percentage of the population began at 30% in the Philippines. It grew to 45% in 1990, followed by a gradual decrease, with predictions at nearly 43% in 2040.
Similarly, in Indonesia, 11% of citizens were recorded in 1970. This figure declined moderately, with predictions just above 50% in 2040.
On the other hand, Malaysia was the most common and had the highest population ratio among all the cities. It stood at 30% in 1970, then surged to around 80% in 2040.
Moreover, the population of Thailand initially stood at 22% in 1980. The number rose and remained relatively stable at nearly 25% in 2010 and climbed gradually, peaking at 40% in 2040.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 features of the graph, presenting an overview and selecting data from various countries. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data compared to the ground truth. For instance, the student states that for the Philippines, 'It grew to 45% in 1990, followed by a gradual decrease, with predictions at nearly 43% in 2040,' whereas the graph shows 2040 at 55.5%. Similarly, for Indonesia, the student writes '11% of citizens were recorded in 1970' (actual is 14%) and predicts 'just above 50% in 2040' (actual is 64%). These factual discrepancies in reading the data prevent the response from achieving a higher band. While the overview captures Malaysia's dominant upward trend, the execution contains too many misread statistics.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs dedicated to individual countries. Logical connectors such as 'Overall', 'Turning to the details', 'Similarly', and 'On the other hand' are employed to structure the text. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, with single-sentence paragraphs used for individual countries, making the overall structure feel a bit disjointed. Reference links are occasionally unclear, such as referring to countries as 'all the cities'. Progression is visible, but the mechanical nature of the cohesive devices limits the score to a Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common collocations and vocabulary items such as 'significant increase', 'gradual decrease', and 'surged'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'rates, the percentage of the population living in four different countries', referring to countries as 'all the cities', and misusing terms regarding population ratios. Spelling is generally correct, but word choice errors occasionally impede precise communication, aligning the response with Band 5 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating introductory clauses and time markers like 'from 1970 to 2040' and 'with predictions at nearly 43% in 2040'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'throughout the year' (instead of years) and punctuation or phrasing slips in comparative sentences. While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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