Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-30
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 chart illustrates the data of population of four countries; Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, living in cities from year 1970 to 2020. It also gives the predictions for the next two decades.
In year 1970, Philippines was near 30 and so do Malaysia. While Thailand and Indonesia had populations in cities under 20 percent. In the next five decades the population in cities of all countries increased except Phillipines. It started to decrease after two decades and did got a spike from 2010 to 2020.
The predictions do suggest that all of these numbers will keep increasing over the next two decades in these four countries with Malaysia at the top and thailand at the bottom.
Malaysia was the country with the highest increase. While Thailand had the lowest increase in population in cities if compared to each other. Indonesia is at the second number if increase of population in cities is considered as it outgrows Thailand and Phillipines.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response attempts to cover the main features of the chart, providing an overview of the trends and noting countries with the highest and lowest proportions. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, the student claims that the Philippines population in cities decreased after two decades and did not get a spike until 2010 to 2020, whereas the graph shows fluctuations. Additionally, data points are occasionally misreported, such as 'near 30' for 1970 when the Philippines was 32 and Malaysia 30. While an overall trend is identified, the lack of precision and some misreadings of the visual data keep this response at a Band 5.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay is divided into short paragraphs, attempting to group information logically by introduction, general trends, and specific country comparisons. However, the progression is disjointed. Sentences such as 'While Thailand and Indonesia had populations in cities under 20 percent' and the fragmented paragraphs cause a jerky flow. Cohesive devices are minimal or mechanically used, as seen with repetitive phrasing ('While Thailand had the lowest increase', 'Malaysia was the country with the highest increase'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall structural progression lacks clear logical links between paragraphs. This performance aligns with Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms such as 'population in cities', 'increase', and 'highest'. There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'did got a spike' instead of 'experienced a surge', and 'at the second number if increase of population in cities is considered' instead of 'ranks second in terms of urban population growth'. While the vocabulary is adequate to convey a basic message, the frequent inaccuracies and lack of flexibility prevent the response from achieving a higher band score, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'and so do Malaysia' (should be 'and so did Malaysia'), 'did got a spike', and 'thailand at the bottom' (capitalisation error). Punctuation and verb tense shifts are also problematic, particularly when mixing past data with future predictions ('The predictions do suggest that all of these numbers will keep increasing... with Malaysia at the top and thailand at the bottom'). Frequent errors cause some distraction and occasionally impede smooth reading, justifying a Band 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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