Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 perecentage of people living in four countries in the Asia region from 1970 to 2020. The graph also predicts the percentage for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, alll the four countries have seen an increase in the population since 1970. Out of these four countries , Indonesia and Malaysia have seen a dramatic increase in population.

Indonesia's population had the largest increase in population, it rose from 30% to 72% from 1970 to 2020 and it is predicted that they will have around 78%-80% population in their cities ifrom 2030 to 2040. After Indonesia, Malaysia saw a significant increase in their population as well which stood at 50% in 2020 which was 12% in 1970. It is predicted that in cities the population will rise to 55% in 2030 and till 2040 it will be around 60%.

Phillippines and Thailand are the two countries that showed a steady increase in their population. Phillippines population increased from 31% to around 40% from 1970 to 2020. Thailand's population stood at 25% in 2020. It was around 19% in 1970. Both countries are predicted to see an increase in their population in 2030 and 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the broad upward direction and includes an overview, but it does not accurately report the graph’s main features, which limits how fully it addresses the task. Several central figures are substantially misassigned: Indonesia is reported as rising from 30% to 72% by 2020, whereas the graph shows about 14% to 52%; Malaysia is given as 12% in 1970 and 50% in 2020, rather than about 30% and 76%. The Philippines and Thailand figures are also understated or confused. The overview’s claim that Indonesia and Malaysia had the most dramatic increases is not supported as written, since the figures used are inaccurate. Include a clear comparison of the actual leaders and trajectories, and check each country’s values before drawing conclusions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a general overview, and two paragraphs grouping the countries. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow, and transitions such as “After Indonesia” and “Both countries” help connect points. However, the progression is weakened by repeated use of “population” and by comparisons that are difficult to interpret because the figures and country trends are confused. The overview also repeats the idea of population increases without clearly distinguishing urbanisation from total population. Improve cohesion by grouping countries according to their actual patterns, using clear time comparisons, and ensuring pronouns such as “they” refer unambiguously to a country or its urban share.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general topic, with phrases such as “dramatic increase,” “significant increase,” and “steady increase” showing some range. However, wording is repetitive and sometimes imprecise: “population” is repeatedly used where “proportion living in cities” or “urban share” would be more accurate. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “perecentage,” “alll,” and “Phillippines,” which reduce the overall control of vocabulary. Some collocations are awkward, particularly “increase in population” when describing a percentage of people living in cities. Use precise terms for the measured statistic and vary trend language while keeping it accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “It is predicted that…” and the contrast introduced by “After Indonesia.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but sentence control is uneven. The sentence “Indonesia's population had the largest increase in population, it rose…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma. There are also problems with agreement and reference in “they will have,” and the conditional construction “ifrom 2030 to 2040” is malformed. Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, and some sentences lack clear grammatical links between the figures and the countries. Practise separating clauses with a full stop or conjunction and use consistent structures such as “the figure is projected to reach…”

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.