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 line graph illustrates the percentage of how many people in four Asian countries living in cities between 1970 and 2020, with projection for 2030 and 2040. Overall, it is seen that Malaysia accounted the largest population, whereas Thailan recorded the lowest figure and it is also noticeable that all figures showed an upward trend.

Looking at the Malaysia, the figure stood at 30% in 1970. It then increased steadily, in 2020 it is accounted for 77% almost but in 2040 it will be just over 80%. Indonesia started from 12% in 1970, the figure rose. in 2040 it will make up over 60%.

The figure of Philippines fluctuated. In 1980, approximately 30% population live in city areas. It increase significantly before decreased. the figure will account

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response falls well short of the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at 127 words, and is also incomplete as it trails off at the end with an unfinished sentence ("the figure will account"). While the introduction attempts to paraphrase the prompt, the selection of main features is very limited and lacks proper development. The overview highlights that Malaysia accounted for the largest population and Thailand the lowest, but it misses several key comparative details across the timeline. Furthermore, some data points are inaccurate or poorly communicated, such as stating "Malaysia accounted the largest population" in 1970 when it was actually lower than the Philippines at that time. To improve, the student must write a complete response that meets the word count, includes a well-developed overview, and accurately reports key trends and comparisons for all countries throughout the entire period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response shows some basic organization, beginning with an introductory sentence followed by a rudimentary overview and body paragraphs. However, there is no clear overall progression across the text, and the paragraphing is underdeveloped and fractured. Cohesive devices are used in a very repetitive and mechanical way, such as starting consecutive sentences with phrases like "Looking at the Malaysia, the figure..." and "Indonesia started from...". Reference links are also occasionally unclear or imprecise, and the abrupt ending prevents any sense of logical conclusion. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to group information more logically, ensure smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and avoid repetitive mechanical structures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer demonstrates some ability to use basic topic-related terms such as "line graph", "percentage", "population", and "living in cities". However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that reflect a lack of precision, such as "how many people in four Asian countries living in cities", "Malaysia accounted the largest population", and "Thailan" (spelling error). Attempts to use less common vocabulary are minimal. To achieve a higher score, the student should expand their range of vocabulary, use more precise reporting verbs and adjectives to describe trends, and pay closer attention to word choice and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There is a limited range of grammatical structures used successfully. Frequent errors occur in tense consistency, prepositions, and articles, such as omitting necessary prepositions ("live in city areas") and awkward phrasing like "the figure stood at 30% in 1970. It then increased steadily, in 2020 it is accounted for 77% almost". Punctuation is also faulty in places, including comma splices that impede smooth reading. To improve, the student needs to demonstrate better control over verb tenses, particularly when mixing past data with future projections, and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical errors.

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

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