Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-11

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 graph illustrats,the amount of citizens are living in the four asian countries between 1970 to 2020 ,with assumption of the future for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it is clearly shown that, malaysia has the highest rate of citizens in 2020,whereas philippines has the most fluctuating values within this period.The other states thailand and indonesia are quite similar growing rate throughtout this years.

In 1970, malaysia has above 30% population which fluctuating consequently till 1990 with 50% ,then slightly fall down under 40% in 2010. Similarly, philippines shows, a gradual increasing of 30% to 40% in 1970 to 1980, next steadily grow uop till 1990,aftar that there is massive jump to 70% in 2020,which could be uprised in next 20 years.

On contast, thailand and indonesia give the steady growth of population between 1970 to 2000, whereas indonesia shows the increasing structure in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give an overview, noting Malaysia’s leading position in 2020 and the Philippines’ fluctuations. However, the response only partially reports the main features, and several figures or trends are inaccurate: Malaysia rises to about 76% by 2020 rather than falling below 40% in 2010, while the Philippines reaches about 45.5% in 2020, not 70%. The claim that Thailand and Indonesia have similar growth also overlooks Indonesia’s much sharper rise after 2000. The report ends mid-sentence, leaving the later trends and forecasts largely unaddressed. It is also 7 words below the required minimum. Select the key comparisons accurately and complete the account of the projected figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: an opening statement is followed by an overview and then paragraphs describing the countries. Basic linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “On contrast” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, progression is difficult to follow because several comparisons are crowded into long sentences, and the final sentence stops at “whereas indonesia shows the increasing structure in,” leaving the discussion incomplete. Some links also do not clearly express the relationship between the data, and the overview’s grouping of Thailand and Indonesia is not developed. Use separate, focused paragraphs for the overview and key trends, and ensure each comparison is completed and clearly linked to the relevant years.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “fluctuating,” “gradual increasing,” and “steady growth,” so the reader can recognise the topic and intended trends. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “amount of citizens,” “assumption of the future,” and “massive jump.” Spelling errors, including “illustrats,” “throughtout,” and “aftar,” are noticeable and reduce clarity. Aim for precise language for chart descriptions, such as “proportion of the population,” “projections,” and “rose sharply.” Check spelling and use natural collocations so that the data description is easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast with “whereas” and a sequence using “then” and “after that.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “malaysia has the highest rate … in 2020,whereas philippines has” has inconsistent capitalisation and punctuation, while “malaysia has above 30% population” uses an unsuitable tense and lacks an article or clearer grammatical structure. The opening phrase “between 1970 to 2020” also has an incorrect preposition pattern. Practise past-tense reporting for historical data, accurate articles and prepositions, and sentence boundaries; proofread commas and capital letters.

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.