Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-29

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)

This graph compares the percentage of population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. The countries are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Both Philippines and Malaysia had 30 percent population in cities in the year 1970. While the percentage of Malaysia increase gradually up to year 2040 at the same time Philippines percentage rise till 1990 then it decrease in 2010. But now it is rising as far as 2040.

Indonesia with least percentage of 15 in 1970 increase simultaneously, to 50 percent in the year 2040. At the same time Thailand's percentage of population increases from 19 to 35 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to summarize the main trends in the line graph, correctly identifying the starting point for the Philippines and Malaysia ('Both Philippines and Malaysia had 30 percent population in cities in the year 1970') and outlining general upward trajectories. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reading the data. For instance, Indonesia's starting percentage in 1970 is given as 15 (chart shows 14), and Malaysia's ending prediction for 2040 is omitted while the final rate for Indonesia is misstated as 50 percent (chart shows 64 percent). Furthermore, the overview is incomplete, and the length requirement of 150 words is not met (the response contains only 111 words). This results in an under-developed response that only partially addresses the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is organized into three short paragraphs, attempting an introduction and body paragraphs divided by country groupings. However, the logical progression is weak and abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is minimal and sometimes awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'But now it is rising' or contrasting clauses loosely with 'At the same time'. Paragraphing is visibly underdeveloped due to the overall shortness of the text, and referencing between sentences can be disjointed, leading to a choppy reading experience that lacks smooth transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical range is fairly basic and repetitive, relying on standard terms like 'percentage', 'population', 'cities', and 'year'. There are minor word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as writing 'percentage of Malaysia increase' (instead of 'percentage for Malaysia increased') and 'Philippines percentage rise' (instead of 'the percentage for the Philippines rose'). The student attempts some vocabulary related to trends ('increase gradually', 'decrease', 'rising'), but these are hindered by grammatical slips and a lack of less common lexical items appropriate for Academic Task 1.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences and a few basic complex attempts. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'percentage of Malaysia increase gradually' instead of 'increased gradually', 'it decrease in 2010' instead of 'decreased', and 'Indonesia with least percentage... increase simultaneously' instead of 'increased'). Punctuation is generally basic. These errors occasionally cause slight awkwardness for the reader, though communication of the basic intent is not entirely blocked.

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