Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-13

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 given diagram represents a percentage of population in four Asian countries existing in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

The line chart consists of the values on both X-axis and Y-axis are year and percentage of total population respectively, with the four lines representing each city, that are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

In the year 1970, the percentage of total population living in Indonesia and Thailand are under 10-12 percent whereas the other cities such as Malaysia and Philippines have similar percentage that is 30.

During the next few years we noticed that the percentage of total population living in these 4 coutries had a growth spike till 1990. Furthermore few cities of the Asian countries started to decline in the total population percentage and those cities were Philippines and Thailand, although the decline was slight in number compared to other cities. Moreover Malaysia and Indonesia had a growth throughout the given data till 2040 and the total percentage of population was noted 80 for Malaysia and 60 for Indonesia.

From all the given perspective, Malaysia had the highest growth in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and mention several relevant trends, including Malaysia’s strong rise and Indonesia’s continued growth. However, the response reports some figures inaccurately: in 1970, Indonesia and Thailand were about 14% and 18%, not below 10–12%, and Thailand does not decline; it rises gradually. The claim that all four countries grew until 1990 is also too broad, as the later pattern differs by country. Most importantly, the overview is unfinished: “Malaysia had the highest growth in” leaves the main comparison incomplete, and the response does not clearly summarise the final rankings or the contrasting trajectories. Select the key features accurately and complete a concise overview before giving supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has paragraph breaks and a broadly recognisable sequence: an introduction, an account of the early figures, and discussion of later trends. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “Moreover” show an attempt to connect points. However, progression is difficult to follow because the account moves between countries and periods without a clear comparison structure. Phrases such as “During the next few years” do not specify the period, while “From all the given perspective” introduces a conclusion that stops abruptly. Some connections are also misleading, particularly the suggestion that Thailand declined. Organise the body into clear time periods or contrasting country trends, and use linking words only where the relationship between ideas is accurate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “predictions,” “decline,” and “growth,” and the reader can generally identify the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a population trend. “Existing in cities” is not an appropriate way to describe urban residence, and “growth spike” suggests a sharp surge that does not accurately characterise every country. “Each city” also confuses the countries with cities, while “given perspective” is unclear. Spelling errors such as “coutries” further reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “urban population,” “proportion,” “rose steadily,” and “fell slightly,” and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, for example, “Furthermore few cities … started to decline … although the decline was slight.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence structures are faulty. “The line chart consists of the values … are year and percentage” combines incompatible constructions; a clearer form would be “The x-axis shows the years, while the y-axis shows percentages.” There are also agreement and article problems in “the percentage … are” and “a percentage of population,” as well as awkward tense use in “we noticed.” The final sentence is incomplete, which leaves the grammatical structure unfinished. Practise complete, direct sentences and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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