Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17
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 4.0)
The given graph illustrates the information about the proportion of four Asian countries naming Phillipines, Malaysia,Thailand and Indonesia living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with prediction for 2030 to 2040.
Overall, it is evident that Malasian population was the highest proportion, whereas the Phillippinans percentage is lowest and both Thailand and Indonesia remained stable.
It can be clearly seen that the population of Malaysia was 30 percent in 1970 and it continusely increaed while it will 80 percent by 2020. after that the philippines total population was 31% in 1970 it also sharped steadly in 2040 and i twas fluctuated in 2010 and again rised in 1990. on the other hand Thailand or Indonesia was 15% in 1970 and thailand was 31% by 1970.
Moreover,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at 126 words with an unfinished sentence fragment ("Moreover,"). While the student attempts to provide an overview and mention some countries, the content is severely constrained by length. The overview contains inaccuracies, such as stating that Thailand and Indonesia remained stable, which contradicts the upward trends shown in the graph. Furthermore, the body paragraph contains misinterpretations of the data and garbled phrasing, such as "philippines total population was 31% in 1970 it also sharped steadly in 2040". Because of the under-length penalty, incomplete task execution, and factual inaccuracies regarding the trends, the response falls into Band 4.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The essay is divided into short paragraphs, but the overall organization and logical progression break down rapidly. The second paragraph attempts an overview with confusing claims, and the third paragraph is a jumble of disconnected and inaccurate data points without clear logical sequencing. Cohesive devices are either misused or absent, and referencing is faulty, as seen in confusing pronoun usage and disjointed transitions like "after that" and "on the other hand". Additionally, the response trails off mid-sentence, indicating a lack of control over structure and paragraph coherence. This meets the criteria for Band 4.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with frequent word-choice errors and spelling mistakes (e.g., "Malasian", "Phillippinans", "continusely", "increaed", "rised"). Phrases like "sharped steadly" and "population of Malaysia was 30 percent... while it will 80 percent" demonstrate a lack of control over appropriate collocations and lexical precision when describing data. The limited range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the statistical information accurately, resulting in strain for the reader. This performance aligns with Band 4.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
Grammatical structures are severely limited and prone to frequent errors that often obscure meaning. The student struggles with basic tense consistency and clause structures, as evidenced by errors such as "while it will 80 percent by 2020" (mixing past and future contexts incorrectly) and run-on sentences joined poorly with coordinating conjunctions. Punctuation and capitalization are also erratic. Because errors are frequent, repetitive, and cause considerable difficulty in understanding the intended meaning, the response warrants a Band 4.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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