Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-01

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 graph compares the proportion of the population in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia living in towns between 1970 and 2020, and projection for 2030 and 2040.

Overall, it is clear that the highest parcentage of Malasians lived in cities, while the Indonesians lived in cities are lower than other countries in the given years.

For Malaysia, 30% of the citizen was lived in cities in 1970, which was increased gradualy to accounted for approximately 75% in 2020 and will projected at 85% in 2040. About 14% population percentage was lowest accounted by Indonesia, which was lowest for nall other countries, was increased slightly to 25% in 2000. In 2040, it predicted was increased by 35%.

For the remaining countries, Philippiens population proportion was highest in 1970 was 32% and remained stable in a decaed, after that rose on a peak to 48% and increased p

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the countries and the broad period, and you include some relevant figures, such as Malaysia rising from 30% in 1970 to about 75% in 2020. However, the overview is inaccurate: Indonesia did not have the lowest urban share throughout the period, since the Philippines was higher in 1970 but Indonesia overtook it later; Malaysia was the highest by the end, not necessarily in every year. Several details are also misreported: Indonesia reached about 30.5% in 2000 and is projected to reach roughly 64% in 2040, not 35%. The response ends mid-sentence and omits a clear account of Thailand and later trends. It is also three words below the required minimum. Select the main comparisons accurately and complete the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an attempted overview, and paragraphs beginning with “For Malaysia” and “For the remaining countries.” These topic openings help the reader see how you are grouping information. However, progression is difficult to follow because the overview is unclear and the final paragraph breaks off at “increased p”. Some sentences combine several points without clear relationships, particularly the Indonesia sentence, which repeats that it was the lowest and then shifts to a prediction. Use one paragraph for the overall trends and organise the details by meaningful comparisons, with complete sentences and clear links between past data and forecasts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “proportion,” “projection,” “approximately,” and “peak,” so the response shows an attempt to describe data rather than relying only on basic words. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “citizen was lived in cities,” “lowest accounted,” and “rose on a peak.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “parcentage,” “Malasians,” “gradualy,” and “Philippiens,” which reduce clarity and control. Aim for precise, conventional chart language and check spelling carefully. For example, describe a figure as “accounted for” a percentage, and say that a trend “rose to a peak” or “increased gradually.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentence forms, including a relative clause in “30% … in 1970, which was increased…” and a forecast construction. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make several statements difficult to interpret. Examples include “the Indonesians lived in cities are lower,” “the citizen was lived,” and “it predicted was increased,” where verb forms and sentence structure are not controlled. Articles, number agreement, and tense choices also need attention: use “the population” or “citizens,” and distinguish past figures from predictions. Practise writing short, accurate comparisons first, then combine them with clauses such as “which rose to…” or “is projected to reach…”.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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