Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-08

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 gives the percentage of people living in urban areas from four Asian states starting from 1970 to 2020, including an assumtion for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, Malaysia and Indonesia showed a significant rise in their population while Philippines and Thailand changed at a moderate rate. Indonesia's percentage of population converged with Thailand and Philippines in the year 2000 and 2010 respectively. Malaysia and Philippines was quite close in between the decades from 1970 to 1990 based on their percentage of population.

Population in Malaysia and Thailand increased consistently in between the years from 1970 to 2020. Malaysia was at 30% at the start of 1970 which jumped to 40% after a decade. After that, the percentage increased slightly to 47% in the 1990's

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the graph’s subject and gives an overview, noting Malaysia and Indonesia’s substantial rises and the more moderate changes in the Philippines and Thailand. It also includes some relevant figures, such as Malaysia’s starting point and its rise by 1980. However, the report is incomplete and covers the data only minimally: it stops during the Malaysia description, gives no account of the later years or forecasts, and omits key comparisons such as Indonesia’s strong growth and Malaysia’s projected lead. The claim that Malaysia and Thailand increased consistently is also inaccurate because Thailand’s growth was much slower and nearly level for some periods. The response is below the required 150 words. To improve, complete the summary and select the main trends and comparisons across the full period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then a detail paragraph, and phrases such as “Overall” and “After that” help signal the stages of the response. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph ends abruptly after the 1990s, leaving the account unfinished. Several ideas in the overview are crowded together, including the convergence claims, without enough explanation to show how they relate to the main trends. The repeated use of “percentage of population” also makes the linking feel mechanical. A clearer structure would group the overall trends first, then compare the countries’ figures across the period, using time markers to guide the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response has an adequate range for describing a graph, including “significant rise,” “moderate rate,” “converged,” and “increased consistently.” These choices communicate the general subject, and the meaning is usually clear. There are, however, some inaccurate or awkward choices: “assumtion” is misspelled, “states” is less suitable than “countries” here, and “jumped” is somewhat informal for an academic report. “Changed at a moderate rate” is also vague when describing the Philippines and Thailand. Aim for precise trend language such as “fluctuated,” “rose gradually,” or “remained relatively stable,” and check spelling. More varied vocabulary would also help avoid repeating “percentage of population.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the clause “which jumped to 40% after a decade.” Most of the intended meaning can be understood, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Malaysia and Philippines was quite close” has a subject–verb agreement problem and needs an article before “Philippines”; “in between the decades from 1970 to 1990” is an awkward prepositional construction; and “starting from 1970 to 2020” does not express the time span accurately. The final sentence is also incomplete, ending after “in the 1990’s.” Use consistent past-tense reporting, check agreement and articles, and ensure every sentence is complete.

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