Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28

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 line graph illustrates about the proportion of number of people in four (philippines, Malaysia,Thiland, Indonesia) countries living in urban areas from 1970 to 2022, with predictions for 230 and 2040.

Overall, it is explicitly clear that, population in Malaysian country is rose drametically while population in Indonesia show upward trend. Philippines show slight flutuation and than went upward.

In 1970, Phillippines residents number were stood at about 32% whereas Malaysian population at 30%. In contrast, Malasyian population were grown significantly at nearly 40% , on the other hand Philippines community gradually increasing at point around 35% in 1980. After that Malyasian inhabitants numbers soar sharply about 80% over the period at 2040 followed by Phillipines population which can rose graduallly about 50%

Thailand

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at 124 words and leaving the final section incomplete (ending abruptly with 'Thailand'). While the student attempts to provide an overview and mentions some key features—such as Malaysia's significant increase and general trends—the information is underdeveloped, contains inaccuracies in data reporting, and lacks a complete analysis of all four countries. Due to the under-length penalty and incomplete coverage of the task, it falls into Band 4.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The organization of the text is hindered by poor paragraphing, abrupt transitions, and an incomplete structure that trails off at the end. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes misused, such as 'than went upward' instead of 'then went upward'. Although there is a basic attempt to group information chronologically, the lack of a fully developed conclusion and the fragmented presentation prevent the response from achieving a clear progression, placing it at Band 4.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitious, with noticeable issues in word choice and spelling (e.g., 'drametically', 'flutuation', 'Malasyian'). While the student attempts some less common vocabulary like 'proportion', 'upward trend', and 'gradually increasing', the frequent spelling errors ('Thiland', 'Phillippines') and inaccurate lexical choices ('residents number', 'inhabitants numbers soar') strain the reader's understanding and restrict the lexical range to a Band 4 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The grammatical structures attempted are largely limited to simple and flawed complex sentences. There are frequent errors in verb tense and agreement, such as 'population in Malaysian country is rose' and 'Philippines residents number were stood'. Punctuation and article usage are also weak throughout the text. These persistent errors frequently impede communication and reflect the descriptors for Band 4.

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

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