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)
The line graph provides information about the proportion the population in four Asian nations Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia living in urban from 1970 to 2020 , with projections 2030 to 2040.
overall , all four nations witnessed a continuous increase over the period, Malaysia have the highest in terms of the urban population share, where Indonesia displays the most significant growth rate.
In 1970, Malaysia started 30% then rise up and steady ascent .By 2040, it is accounted to over the 80% ,which is the highest urban percentage among the four country.
The Philippines, connecting comparable level to Malaysia in 1970,it is erratic journey. Despite the fluctuations it reach to approximately 55% in 2040.
Indonesia, manage to lowest starting in 1970 around 15% .it is remarkable surge up and surpassing the two nations .it is projected to nearly to 65% by 2040 .
Thailand, beginning under the 20% in 1970 and it is consistent growth pattern over the whole periods.it reaching closely to 50% in 2040.
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 student covers all parts of the task by reporting data for all four countries across the timeline, including both the past figures and future predictions. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, noting the overall upward trend and specific highlights such as Malaysia's high proportion and Indonesia's rapid growth. However, some of the specific data points contain inaccuracies or vague expressions, such as stating 'Malaysia started 30% then rise up' or misreporting exact figures. Despite these minor data lapses, the main trends are successfully identified and compared, meeting the requirements of a Band 6.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into distinct paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the countries. However, the progression is sometimes disjointed due to awkward transitions and frequent mechanical referencing errors (e.g., 'Malaysia have the highest', 'Indonesia, manage to lowest starting'). Cohesive devices are used in a basic manner, and paragraphing is visible, but the internal logical flow within sentences often falters, placing this securely at Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate to academic task 1, including terms like 'proportion', 'projections', 'significant growth rate', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are numerous word choice and collocation errors (e.g., 'living in urban', 'connecting comparable level', 'erratic journey', 'remarkable surge up'). While the meaning is generally communicated, these persistent lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is quite low. There are frequent missing verbs, incorrect prepositions, and faulty tense usage throughout the response (e.g., 'Malaysia have the highest', 'Malaysia started 30% then rise up', 'it is erratic journey', 'it reaching closely'). Errors occur in almost every sentence and occasionally cause confusion for the reader, which aligns with the Band 5.0 descriptor.
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