Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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 given graph illustrates the percentage of four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with estimates the prediction for 2030 and 2040.

Starting from 1970, Where around 12% to 15% Indonesians live in cities, Thailand's people lives in city from ratio of 18 to 20 percent, Whereas, 30% of Malaysians love to to live in cities, Comes forward to Phillipine's population which is 30 to 32 percent of total population lives in cities.

In 1980, the number of people living in cities are mostly same or little bit grows from 1970, but we see an increment of 10% population living in cities for Malaysians. Till 1990, We saw a graduall increase in all four countries. Coming to 2000, We saw massive increase in Malaysians people living in cities while other 3 are still progressing minimally.

From 2010 to 2020, All four countries population coming towards cities to live there which is now progressing very fast, Like an example of Malaysians, which increase from 50 to 60 percent in 1990 to 2000 to now sits at 70 to 80 percent in 2012 yo 2020,

For future estimation, There is still the increamnet in population wanted to or will living in cities which is only increasing in all four countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to address the prompt by describing the given line graph, but it does so only partially. While it mentions several countries and general upward trends, the selection of data is erratic and fails to provide a fully developed overview. For example, the student states 'Where around 12% to 15% Indonesians live in cities', which is a fragmented and incomplete reporting of the data. Key features, such as Malaysia's steep rise to become the most urbanised country by 2040 or the final projected figures, are inadequately covered or missing entirely. The description lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the main trends across the entire period, leading to an underdeveloped response where ideas are limited.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays some organisation with basic paragraphing, but there is a lack of clear overall progression. The sequencing of information feels disjointed, moving between years and countries without a logical flow. Cohesive devices are frequently misused or overly repetitive, as seen with transitional phrases like 'Comes forward to Phillipine's' and 'Coming to 2000'. Furthermore, referencing and paragraph structures are mechanical, causing the reader to lose track of the narrative. Paragraphs tend to be a collection of isolated sentences rather than unified blocks of related data and comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, reflecting basic control. The student attempts some topic-related vocabulary such as 'percentage', 'population', and 'increment', but these are often accompanied by word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'love to to live in cities' or 'population wanted to or will living in cities'. There are also frequent issues with word forms, such as 'increamnet' and 'graduall'. These lexical limitations and errors constrain the precision of the response, although the general meaning remains partially accessible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical range is very limited, relying heavily on simple sentence structures and faulty attempts at complex clauses. There are frequent errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, which often distort the meaning. Examples include 'Thailand's people lives in city', 'the number of people living in cities are mostly same', and 'All four countries population coming towards cities'. Punctuation is also problematic, with inappropriate comma splices and capitalization throughout the text. These persistent errors cause significant difficulty for the reader.

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