Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19

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 4.5)

The graph 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.

There are four Asian countries with the least population living in cities is Thailand, with the highest number in Malaysia. The Phillippines and Indonesia are lied in between. More people in Malaysia live in cities because of the beautiful artitecture and work opportunities there, while people of Thailand likes to live in countyside because of more touirism in cities. Thailand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, so a lot of peope like to visit there and live in cities and local people like to live in countyside because the peace the found in countyside. In Malaysia people starts moving towords cities after 1990.

At the end the main points are discussed in this graph that the people of Malaysia are now shifting from cities and people of Thailand are moving to cities for more opportunities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The student attempts to summarise the graph by introducing the general trend and mentioning the countries with the highest and lowest percentages (Malaysia and Thailand). However, the response fails to report any specific data points, figures, or overall trends over time accurately. Furthermore, much of the body paragraph introduces outside, speculative information not present in the graph (e.g., 'because of the beautiful architecture and work opportunities there'). In an Academic Task 1 response, candidates must report facts derived directly from the visual data rather than offering personal commentary or ungrounded explanations. The conclusion also misinterprets the trend, claiming that people in Malaysia are shifting from cities when the graph clearly shows continuous urban growth. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The response is very brief and lacks proper paragraphing, consisting only of a short introductory sentence followed by a jumbled body section and an erroneous concluding sentence. There is a lack of overall progression in presenting the data. Cohesive devices are minimal or misused, such as 'At the end the main points are discussed', which creates an awkward transition. Sentences do not flow logically from one to the next due to the inclusion of irrelevant personal opinions mixed with data descriptions. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the mechanical nature of the linking impacts readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive ('population living in cities', 'countries', 'beautiful'). There are several spelling and word choice errors, including 'Phillippines' instead of Philippines, 'lied' instead of lie or are located, 'artitecture' instead of architecture, 'countyside' instead of countryside, 'touirism' instead of tourism, 'peope' instead of people, and 'towords' instead of towards. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling mistakes restrict the student to a lower band, as the range is limited and frequently strained.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences or faulty complex constructions. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the least population living in cities is Thailand', 'people of Thailand likes to live', 'people starts moving'), incorrect prepositions ('in countyside'), and awkward phrasing ('The Phillippines and Indonesia are lied in between'). Punctuation is also erratic. These errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and impede clear communication.

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