Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-17

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 chart illustrates the number of urban residents (in percentage) in countries like Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia between 1970 and 2020, along with the future expectation for the year 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it is evident that the some countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have shown a dramatic increase in birth rate as they bypassed other countries such as Phillippines and Thailand. Moreover, it is expected to see a gradual increase in births of all countries mentioned in the future years.

1970, Phillippines has the largest human footprint at above 30 percent, and Indonesia has the lowest figure at around 14 percent. Malaysia showed a rapid increase in births as it crossed the phillippines before 1980, and then rocketed to more than 70 percent in 2020 and will continue to trend till 2040.

One other country that has shown a substantial increase is Indonesia which bypassed the population of Thailand and Phillippines over the years and in 2020, it positions at 50% and is expected to reach 55% in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the countries and period, and it notes the broad rise in Malaysia and Indonesia. However, the overview is substantially inaccurate: the chart shows urbanisation, not birth rates, and Malaysia and Indonesia do not both overtake the other countries. Malaysia becomes the highest, while Indonesia rises above the Philippines and Thailand by 2020. Several details are also misreported: the Philippines is about 45.5% in 2020, not the country Malaysia “crossed” before 1980 in a clear sustained trend, and Indonesia is projected to reach about 64% in 2040, not 55%. Thailand’s gradual rise and the Philippines’ fluctuation are largely omitted. Select the main trends accurately and support them with relevant comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “Moreover” and “One other country” signal connections between points. However, progression is limited because the details are not grouped into a clear comparison of all four countries. The final paragraph focuses on Indonesia but does not complete the comparison, while Thailand receives almost no discussion. Some linking is also awkward or unclear, particularly “as they bypassed other countries,” which leaves the comparison imprecise. Organise the body around the countries’ contrasting trends and use clear references to the relevant years and figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

There is some range in expressions such as “dramatic increase,” “gradual increase,” and “substantial increase,” and the response generally communicates that the lines rise or change. However, several choices are inaccurate for this chart and weaken clarity: “birth rate” and “births” refer to a different measure, while “human footprint” is not an appropriate description of the percentage living in cities. “Bypassed” and “rocketed” are also imprecise or overly informal for reporting data. Spelling is inconsistent in “Phillippines” and “phillippines.” Use precise terms such as urban population, proportion, rose, overtook, and projected, and check country-name spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mixture of simple statements and longer clauses, including “Malaysia showed a rapid increase … as it crossed the Philippines before 1980.” Most sentences remain understandable, and future forms are attempted when discussing projections. However, errors and awkward constructions recur. “It is evident that the some countries” has an unnecessary article, and “it is expected to see” is an incorrect impersonal construction. The opening detail sentence lacks an article before “1970,” while “in 2020, it positions” uses an unsuitable tense for a past figure. The final sentence also combines past and projected information without a clear grammatical distinction. Practise accurate reporting structures such as “In 2020, the figure stood at…” and “is projected to reach…”.

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