Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 provided line graph illustrates the data regarding population proportion in conuntries such as Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from 1970 t0 2030, with expected numder of people for 2030 to 2040.

Overall, the percentage substanitially increased with slight fluctuations Phillippines and Thailand over the period. However for the predicted years the population is expected to grow.

Commence from, Malaysia stood at 30% in 1970 it climbed markedly upward to more than 40% in 1990. Following years it peaked up at above 70% additionally, it is predicted to rise at above 80% in 2040. Subsequently, Phillippines population were at almost 30% in 1970, in 1990 it peaked at less than 50%, in 2010 it decreased to 40% and in 2040 it is expeccted about 50%.

In contrast, in 1970 the percentage of Thailand were at just below 20%, it rose at more than 20% in 1990 and remaine

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the four countries and gives a broad overview of rising urbanisation, including Malaysia’s strong growth and some fluctuation in the Philippines. However, it covers the graph only partially: the account stops mid-sentence while describing Thailand, and Indonesia—one of the most important trends, rising from the lowest starting point to over 60%—is not reported. Some details are also imprecise: the Philippines falls to about 42.5% in 2010, not simply 40%, and its 2040 figure is around 55%, rather than about 50%. The opening also gives the historical period as ending in 2030, although the data begin in 1970 and extend to 2040. The response is two words below the required minimum. Include a complete account of all series and accurate key comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: an introduction is followed by an overview and then country-specific details, with “Overall,” “Following years,” and “In contrast” attempting to guide the reader. However, progression is not sustained because the final paragraph ends abruptly at “remaine,” leaving the Thailand description incomplete and the Indonesia data unaddressed. Several sentences also combine multiple figures without clear links, such as the Malaysia sequence from 1970 through 2040. Cohesive expressions are sometimes awkward or unclear, and the country-by-country structure does not yet create a complete comparison across the period. Use separate, complete paragraphs for the overview and grouped details, and ensure each paragraph develops a clear comparison from beginning to end.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “percentage,” “predicted,” “fluctuations,” “climbed,” and “decreased,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, range and control are uneven, with awkward or inaccurate combinations such as “population proportion,” “peaked up,” “rise at above 80%,” and “expected number of people” when the graph shows percentages. Spelling errors are noticeable, including “conuntries,” “substanitially,” “Phillippines,” “numder,” and “expeccted.” These errors reduce precision and make the report less fluent. Choose standard graph-description collocations such as “the proportion of the population,” “rose to,” and “is projected to reach,” and check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent, and several sentences contain errors that make relationships between figures difficult to follow. For example, “Commence from, Malaysia stood at 30%” has an incomplete or incorrectly formed opening, while “Following years it peaked up” lacks a clear grammatical subject and time expression. Agreement and sentence construction are also problematic in “Philippines population were at almost 30%” and “the percentage of Thailand were.” The final sentence is unfinished, ending with “remaine,” which prevents the reader from understanding the intended point. Use complete clauses with clear subjects and consistent past tense for historical data, then use “is expected to” for forecasts. Punctuate long comparisons as separate sentences.

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