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 proportion of the living and predicted population in the cities of Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from the year 1970 to 2040.

Overall, all the countries are containing fluctuated line but all are rising over time. Highest population has been predicted in Malaysia while lowest have been seen in Thailand.

In terms of Malaysia the proportion of population raised to 30% to approximately 85%. It's nearest line has been seen in Indonesia, that rose to almost 60% from 10%.

On the other hand, Population of Phillipines increaed from 1970 to 1990, but after that the proportion declined upto 5% that continued till 2010. Poupulation of Thailand increased from approximately 20% to 45%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 117 words, which negatively impacts the overall task achievement score. While the student attempts to provide an overview and mentions several key data points—such as Malaysia's growth and Thailand's lower figures—some of the reported data is inaccurate or poorly described. For instance, stating that Philippines' proportion declined 'upto 5%' does not align with the visual data where the lowest point is around 32% rising to 55.5%. Furthermore, the description of trends lacks the necessary depth and comparison required for a Band 6 or higher, resulting in a partial fulfillment of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an introduction and an overview, but the body paragraphs are extremely brief and poorly developed, lacking clear paragraphing strategy. The overall progression is disjointed, and the use of cohesive devices is minimal and mechanical (e.g., 'In terms of Malaysia', 'On the other hand'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'It's nearest line has been seen in Indonesia', which makes it difficult to follow the logical relationship between the countries being discussed. The lack of adequate connectors and poor paragraph structure limit the coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive. The student attempts some less common terms like 'proportion' and 'fluctuated', but there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'all the countries are containing fluctuated line' and 'highest population has been predicted'. Spelling mistakes and awkward phrasing, such as 'Phillipines' and 'increaed', further restrict the lexical score. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey basic ideas about the chart, it lacks the precision and flexibility expected at higher band levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent errors in tense, verb forms, and prepositions, such as 'the proportion raised to 30%' instead of 'rose', and 'population of Phillipines increaed'. Punctuation is also neglected, with missing full stops at the end of sentences (e.g., the final sentence trails off without punctuation). While some basic sentences are clear, the accumulation of grammatical inaccuracies causes occasional difficulty for the reader.

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

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