Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-29

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 show that four countries population percentage how living in cities. In 1970 indonesia population is increasing to 10% but in 2020 they grew more and equal than 50%. In 2030 his rate is is climed to 60% and in 2020 this rate is slowly. In 1970 thailand rate is drop than 20% but in 2020 this value is upto 30% then they grew more and in 2030 his rate is climed to 40% in 2040 this value rate is grown to 40%. In 1970 malaysia population value is 30% but in 2020 this rate more climbed to 70% and 2020 they more increase to 80% in 2040 this value more grown to 80%. In 1970 philippines population percentage is upto 30% in 2020 this rate increase in 2030 his rate climbed to 50% in 2040 this rate is climbed to 50%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to cover the main trends for all four countries, mentioning figures for 1970, 2020, 2030, and 2040. However, the student struggles significantly with accurate data reporting, misinterpreting starting points and trends (e.g., stating 'In 1970 indonesia population is increasing to 10%' when it started at 14%, and confusing years and values throughout). Furthermore, there is no overview provided, which is a key requirement for achieving a Band 6 or higher in Task 1. Finally, the word count is 143 words, failing the minimum 150-word requirement, which results in a further penalty. Overall, the task is addressed only partially, warranting a Band 4.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The text lacks proper paragraphing entirely, written as a single block of text rather than an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are extremely basic and repetitive ('in 1970', 'in 2020', 'in 2030'), and referencing is often confusing or inaccurate ('his rate', 'this value rate'). There is no clear logical progression or structuring of ideas, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparisons between countries. These organizational and cohesive shortcomings align with Band 4.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, relying heavily on words like 'rate', 'value', 'population', 'percentage', and 'grew'. There are persistent errors in word choice and collocation, such as using 'climed' instead of 'climbed', and awkward phrasing like 'population percentage how living in cities'. Less common lexical items are largely absent. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, but errors and limited range restrict the score to Band 4.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The grammatical structure is extremely limited and repetitious. The text consists almost entirely of simple sentences strung together with commas, often resulting in run-on structures (e.g., 'In 1970 thailand rate is drop than 20% but in 2020 this value is upto 30% then they grew more...'). Errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, prepositions, and verb forms are frequent throughout the text (e.g., 'is drop', 'upto', 'more climbed'). These persistent errors and lack of complex sentence control place the grammar at Band 4.0.

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