Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-20

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 illustrates about the proportion of people who are staying in the cities of four countries of Asia between 1970 to 2020 and the guess for next 20 years.

The highest percentage of population who will live in the cities of Malaysia from these countries at the end of 2040.

The graph shows Indonesia had the lowest percentage of populataion who were living in cities approximately 14 percent in 1970. It shows the continues increase and touch the line of 50 percent in 2020 and in 2040 it cross the line of 60 percent.The Thailand which is started just bellow from 20 percent in 1970 increased rapidly for next 20 years but then it shows minor change for next thirty years and it will approximately at 30 percent in 2020 and in next 20 years it touch the line of 40 percent. The percentage of population in Philippines started just above from 30 in 1970 had ups and downs and in 2020 it just cross the line of 40 percent and in next 20 years it touch the line of 50 percent. At the last the malaysia which started from 30 percent shows the highest increase and it touch the line of 80 percent in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant trends, including Malaysia’s rise to the highest level by 2040 and Indonesia’s growth from the lowest starting point. However, the response only partially summarises the graph: it gives no clear overview of the main comparisons across all four countries, and some details are inaccurate. For example, Thailand is described as reaching about 30% in 2020, although it is closer to 34%, and the Philippines is said to cross 40% in 2020, when it is around 46%. The opening also refers to a “guess” rather than clearly identifying the later figures as predictions. Select the most important overall patterns, then support them with accurate comparisons and representative figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from Indonesia and Thailand to the Philippines and Malaysia, and it uses some linking expressions such as “but then” and “at the last.” However, the organisation does not create a clear overall progression: the overview is isolated as a short sentence, while the remaining information is crowded into one long paragraph. Connections between comparisons are limited, and phrases such as “The Thailand which” make the relationship between ideas difficult to follow. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the detailed trends, and group countries by meaningful similarities or contrasts. More precise referencing and a wider, more controlled range of transitions would make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “increase,” “ups and downs,” and “highest increase,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices or collocations are awkward, such as “staying in the cities,” “the guess for next 20 years,” and “touch the line.” These expressions reduce precision in an academic graph summary. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “populataion” and “bellow,” and inconsistent capitalisation of “Malaysia.” Build a more accurate set of trend phrases, such as “the proportion living in urban areas,” “is projected to reach,” and “rose to,” and check spelling and country names carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts longer sentences to describe changes over time, but the range of structures is limited and these longer constructions often contain errors. For example, “The Thailand which is started” has problems with the article, relative clause, and verb form, while “it shows the continues increase” uses an incorrect form after the verb. Tense and sentence construction are also inconsistent in “the highest percentage … at the end of 2040,” which is not a complete sentence, and punctuation is missing in places, such as before “The Thailand.” These errors sometimes make the intended relationships harder to understand. Practise complete overview sentences and use consistent past tense for historical data and future forms for projections.

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