Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-23

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 the proportion of the population living in cities of four Asian countries between 1970 and 2020,with predcitions for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, Malaysia got the highest proportion of population living in cities and will remain highest in future. The proportion of Indonesia's population living in cities is the lowest but in future it will increase steadily. Thailand and Phillippines got moderate to high city population in the future.

The two highest proportion of population living in cities countries are Malaysia and Indonesia with around 70% and just below 50% respectively.The increase proportion of Indonesia will cross the rest two countries despite being the lowest in 1970.Malaysia will lead the proportion of the population living in cities.

The two lowest populus countries now are Thailand and Phillippines . The proportion of Thailand is decreased around 40% in 2010 but afterwards it rose up and will be rising more as predicted. Phillppines got a massive increase in percentage in 1990 which was in declining till 2010 and it will rise further till 2040

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the overall lead of Malaysia and note that Indonesia rises, and you include some relevant comparisons between the four countries. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear, which makes the report only partially successful. Indonesia was not the lowest throughout: it began lowest in 1970, but by 2020 it had overtaken the Philippines and Thailand. The claim that Malaysia and Indonesia are the “two highest” at around 70% and just below 50% does not match the 2020 figures, as Malaysia was about 76% and Indonesia about 52%. Thailand did not decrease to around 40% in 2010; it rose gradually to roughly 33%. A clearer overview and more accurate selection of major trends would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and the reader can generally identify which countries are being discussed. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the third paragraph calls Malaysia and Indonesia the two highest, then the final paragraph describes Thailand and the Philippines as the two lowest, without organising the figures by a clear time period. Some linking is repetitive, particularly repeated references to “the proportion of the population living in cities,” while transitions such as “despite being the lowest in 1970” do not clearly connect to the preceding comparison. Group the countries by their trends or compare them at key dates, and use clearer references and linking phrases to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “proportion,” “predictions,” “declining,” and “increase steadily,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “moderate to high city population,” “two lowest populus countries,” and “got a massive increase.” These expressions make the description less precise and natural. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “predcitions,” “Phillippines,” and “Phillppines.” Use standard trend language such as “the urban population share,” “the two lowest figures,” “rose sharply,” and “is projected to increase.” Greater accuracy and variety in these choices would make the report clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer structures, including “despite being the lowest in 1970” and “which was in declining till 2010,” but sentence forms are often faulty or incomplete, and errors sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. For example, “The two highest proportion … countries are” has incorrect agreement and word order, while “The proportion of Thailand is decreased” uses an incorrect verb construction. The opening also has a missing space after the comma, and punctuation is inconsistent, with spaces before full stops in places. Use straightforward, controlled sentences first: “Malaysia and Indonesia had the highest urban shares in 2020,” and “Thailand’s figure fell” should be replaced with “Thailand’s figure rose.” Check subject–verb agreement, tense, and sentence boundaries.

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