Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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 propotion of people who are based on urban areas in four distincts countries in asia over the period from 1970 to 2040.

Overall, it is clear that the population in cities in all the four countries is growing over the time. However, Malysia is the one recording the fastest growth. While Thailand is having the slowest. Another notable change, is the Philippines which was the lowest figures and the predections says that it will the second asian country with the most populated cities after Malysia by the end of the period.

From the 1970 to the 1990, the urban population in Indonisia,Thailand, Malysia and Thailand was rising gradually. In 1990 the demographic rate in malaysia started growing insanely

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s subject and provide an overview, noting that urbanisation rises overall and that Malaysia grows strongly. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it ends before reporting the later trends or making the key comparisons across all four countries. The claim that the Philippines began with the lowest figure is inaccurate; Indonesia was lowest in 1970. The prediction that the Philippines will be second-highest by 2040 is also incorrect, as Indonesia is projected to be second, while the Philippines remains below it. The final sentence is incomplete and gives no usable figures. The response is also 27 words below the required minimum. To improve, complete the summary and accurately select key starting, ending and trend figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph beginning to describe the data. The overview signals an attempt to group the main trends, and phrases such as “Overall” and “From 1970 to 1990” help indicate stages. However, progression is weak because the final paragraph stops mid-discussion, and the response does not move through the countries or time periods in a clear, complete order. The phrase “From the 1970 to the 1990” is followed by a list that repeats Thailand and omits the Philippines, which makes the comparison difficult to follow. Develop a complete sequence, use one paragraph for the overview and another for selected comparisons, and check that each reference is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “line graph,” “urban areas,” “population” and “growth,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “propotion,” “distincts,” “Malysia,” and “predections” are noticeable, while “growing insanely” is too informal and imprecise for an academic report. “Demographic rate” is also not a natural way to describe the proportion living in cities. Aim for accurate, neutral terms such as “urban population,” “proportion,” “rose sharply” and “was projected to.” Proofreading spelling and choosing standard collocations would make the comparisons clearer and more appropriate to IELTS Academic Task 1.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few complex forms, including “While Thailand is having the slowest” and “which was the lowest figures,” but these constructions are faulty. The first is an incomplete clause, and the second has a mismatch between “which” and the plural noun “figures.” Other errors include “all the four countries,” “From the 1970 to the 1990,” and the incomplete final sentence, “In 1990 the demographic rate in malaysia started growing insanely.” Sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited accurate variation, and errors sometimes make the intended comparison unclear. Practise complete sentences with consistent past-tense reporting for historical data and “is projected to” for forecasts; also check articles, agreement and punctuation before finishing.

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