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 percentage of population residing the cities across four different Asian countries for the period 1970 to 2020 along with the predictions for next two decades.Oveall, most of the Malaysians lived in the cities followed by the Phillippians.Furthermore,the population of Thailand and Indonessia were the least residents in cities.

In the year 1970, there were about 30% of the Malaysians were living in cities along with a prediction of reaching a figure of 80% in 2040.Like Malaysians, initially the Phillipians occupied the similar proportion following consistent fluctuations and expected to end nearly at 50% by 2040.Additionally, an opposite trend is observed for the public of Indonessia as figures indicate a slight increase from 18% to 40% approximately.Conversely, the public of Thailands showed a minor change in rate of residency in cities nearly 40%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give an overview, but the response reports the main features only minimally, which limits how fully it addresses the task. The claim that Malaysians had the highest urban share is true by 2020 and in the forecasts, but not throughout: the Philippines was slightly higher in 1970 and 1990. Several details are inaccurate or unclear: Indonesia rose from about 14% to 52% by 2020, not from 18% to 40%, while Thailand increased gradually from 18% to 33.5% by 2020 rather than showing a rate near 40% across the period. The response also omits the strong rise in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is 13 words below the required minimum. Include a clearer overview and accurate comparisons across the full period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a basic, coherent arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by a paragraph of country details. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Additionally,” and “Conversely” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the progression within the second paragraph is difficult to follow because several countries and time periods are compressed into long, unclear statements. For example, “an opposite trend” does not clearly identify the trend it contrasts with, and the final sentence about Thailand does not specify the period being described. Some transitions also imply comparisons that are not explained. Organise the details into clearer comparisons—for example, grouping the steeply rising countries together—and use time markers to guide the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “predictions,” “fluctuations,” and “trend,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear. “Residing the cities” and “occupied the similar proportion” are not natural ways to describe urban populations, while “public of Indonessia” and “public of Thailands” are unsuitable labels for the data. There are also noticeable spelling errors in “Oveall,” “Phillippians,” and “Indonessia.” Use precise terms such as “the proportion of the population living in cities” and “urbanisation rate,” and check country names carefully. More accurate vocabulary would make your comparisons easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “as” and “following,” but control is inconsistent. In “there were about 30% of the Malaysians were living,” the sentence contains two competing verb structures; write “about 30% of Malaysians lived in cities.” The opening phrase “residing the cities” also lacks the required preposition, and “the population of Thailand and Indonesia were” has a subject–verb agreement problem. Articles and sentence boundaries need attention too: “the similar proportion” is awkwardly formed, and there is no space after several full stops. These errors sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to interpret. Practise building accurate comparison sentences with a clear subject and verb, then proofread for agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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