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Writing Academic Task 1 Band 5.0 Example

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190 words AcademicTask 1Line Graph

Task 1

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Ideas to explore

Compare the overall upward direction with differences in pace: Malaysia rises steadily, while Indonesia’s growth accelerates after 2000.
Highlight meaningful exceptions to a simple upward trend, especially the Philippines’ fall after 1990 and Thailand’s extended plateau.
Use the final-year figures to compare the projected ranking: Malaysia is highest, Indonesia next, the Philippines below it, and Thailand lowest.

Suggested structure

Paraphrase the graph’s subject, countries, and time span in the introduction.
Give an overview of the overall direction and the main contrast in projected levels.
Describe starting values and Malaysia’s steady rise.
Compare the Philippines’ dip and recovery with Indonesia’s stronger later growth.
Finish the detailed comparison with Thailand’s plateau and forecast increase.

Useful vocabulary & examples

urban population share: the percentage of a population living in cities
Malaysia’s urban population share is projected to exceed 80% by 2040.
reach a peak: attain the highest point in a period
The Philippines reached a peak of about 48% in 1990.
remain broadly stable: stay at a similar level, with little overall change
Thailand’s figure remained broadly stable near 30% for several years.
be projected to: be expected or forecast to happen
Indonesia’s urban share is projected to reach about 64% in 2040.

Task Prompt

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in 4 Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 5.0

The graph provides us with information about the proportion of the population in the the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia living in cities from 1970 till 2020, with the predictions for the the next 20 years. Overall, people living in cities in Malaysia is more than in other countries, while in Thailand this figure is lower for most of the period, before rising in the forecast years. The Philippines briefly exceeds Malaysia around 1990.

In 1970, around 30% of people in the Philippines and Malaysia lived in cities. Malaysia then climbed steadily, reaching about 60% in 2000 and roughly 83% by 2040, the highest figure. The Philippines rose to nearly 48% in 1990, declined to around 43% in 2010, and is forecast to finish at approximately 56%.

Indonesia started at about 13% and increased to 30% in 2000. It then grew more quickly, reaching around 52% in 2020 and 64% in 2040. Thailand rose from roughly 18% to 30% by 1990, stayed close to this level until 2020, and is predicted to reach about 50% in 2040. Malaysia ends with the highest figure, while Thailand remains below the other countries.

Targeted Improvement Tips

Make the overview match the whole graph: note that Malaysia finishes highest, but the Philippines briefly rises above it around 1990.

Check the plotted values at each marked year before writing comparisons; describe figures as approximate when reading them from the graph.

Proofread the opening sentence for repeated articles and subject–verb agreement, then replace “people … is more” with a comparison of percentages.

AI Feedback

Overall Band

5.0

Modest

Words

190

Type

Line Graph

Criteria Breakdown

Task Achievement

5.0 Band

The response covers all four countries and gives an overview, including the rise in Thailand’s figure and the Philippines’ brief lead around 1990. It also selects useful start, end and turning-point values. However, “people living in cities in Malaysia is more than in other countries” overstates Malaysia’s position because the Philippines is higher around 1990, and the overview could more clearly summarise the main contrast. Next, check each overview claim against the full timeline.

Coherence & Cohesion

5.0 Band

The answer moves from an overview to country details, and the final paragraphs group the Philippines with Malaysia, then Indonesia with Thailand. Phrases such as “Malaysia then climbed steadily” help show sequence. Some information is repeated in the closing sentence, and the overview’s broad comparison is not fully qualified until later. Next, use one concise overview and organise the body into clear comparisons of trends rather than repeating the summary.

Lexical Resource

5.0 Band

The response uses relevant trend language, including “climbed steadily,” “declined,” and “grew more quickly,” as well as approximate quantities such as “roughly 83%.” This makes the data generally easy to follow. Some phrasing is imprecise or repetitive, especially “people living in cities in Malaysia is more than in other countries.” Next, use the graph’s measure consistently—“the percentage” or “the proportion”—when comparing countries.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

4.5 Band

There are clear sentence structures for reporting trends, including “The Philippines rose … declined … and is forecast to finish.” However, the preserved phrases “the the Philippines” and “the the next 20 years” contain repeated articles, and “people … is” has subject–verb disagreement. These errors affect accuracy even though the overall meaning is understandable. Next, proofread articles and check whether each subject is singular or plural.

Topic Band Distribution

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Writing Academic Task 1 Band 5.0 Example

Plan your answer

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