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 given illustrates us about the percentage of the population living in four different Asian countries from year 1970 to 2020. The graph is plotted between percentage of total population on y-axis and respective year on x-axis. The graph also provides information about the predicted population in the coming years.

Malaysia is the leading country with population increase from 30 to 70 million people from year 1970 to 2020. If the birth rate remains same, it may reach to more than 80 million in the year 2040. Whereas the highest rate of population increase is in Indonesia, as described by its steep graph, from 15 million to 50 million population in year 2020. Philippines shows a unique trend as its population was almost constant till 1980, when it increased exponentially, leading to a gradual decrease from year 1990 till 2010. Prediction is its gradual increase just like other countries. Lastly there is Thailand with gradual increase, and then constant population percentage in year 1980s,and 2000s respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies all four countries and notes several broad movements, including Malaysia’s rise, Indonesia’s steep increase, and the Philippines’ rise and subsequent fall. However, it does not provide a clear, accurate overview of the main features, and several descriptions confuse urbanisation percentages with population totals: for example, Malaysia rises from about 30% to 76%, not “70 million people,” while Indonesia reaches about 52% in 2020, not “50 million.” The claim that Thailand was constant in the 1980s and 2000s is also imprecise; its figures rise gradually, with only a near-plateau around 1990–2000. Focus on percentages, compare the countries’ relative levels, and summarise the overall pattern, including Malaysia’s projected lead and Indonesia’s strong growth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: an introduction followed by comments on Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Linking expressions such as “Whereas” and “Lastly” help signal movement between points, and the reader can generally follow the country-by-country discussion. However, the paragraphing and progression do not clearly distinguish an overview from supporting details, and the final sentence combines several time periods without explaining their relationship. Some links are also awkward, such as “Whereas” beginning a fragment-like contrast after the Malaysia sentence. Organise the report into an introduction, a concise overview, and grouped comparisons of the data; use clear links to show how the countries’ trends relate to one another.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “steep,” “gradual decrease,” “constant,” and “prediction.” These choices show an attempt to describe changes rather than simply list figures. However, several expressions are imprecise or unsuitable for this graph: “population increase” and “million people” confuse the percentage living in cities with population size, while “increased exponentially” overstates the Philippines’ change. Phrases such as “illustrates us about” and “leading country with population increase” are also unnatural collocations. Use precise terms such as “urbanisation rate,” “proportion,” “rose,” and “declined,” and reserve stronger descriptions for changes that the data clearly supports.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and some more developed structures, such as “If the birth rate remains same, it may reach…” and the clause beginning “when it increased…”. Most of the meaning remains understandable, but errors and awkward sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “illustrates us about” has an incorrect verb pattern, “from year 1970 to 2020” is missing articles, and “remains same” needs an article. The final sentence, “Lastly there is Thailand with gradual increase,” is also an incomplete construction, and punctuation is inconsistent, including the missing space after the comma in “1980s,and.” Practise accurate article use and complete sentences while varying structures to compare trends.

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