Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-06
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 line graph illustrates information about the percentage of population in different countries from 1970 to 2020. The countries are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Also the predictions are given for the years 2030 and 2040.
All countries face a sharp escalate in percentage of it's population. Firstly, we will discuss about Philippines and Malaysia. The percentage of the residents in these countries increases sharply till the year 2040. There are ups and downs in the percentage of total population. In Philippines, the percentage were stable in first two years and it was about 30%, then it increases to about 49% in 1990 and then it facaes a downfall till 2010, then it recovers its percentage till the year 2040.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word length requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at only 120 words. Furthermore, the content is incomplete. The student only begins to discuss the Philippines and entirely omits Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, failing to provide a proper overview or make the required comparisons across the four countries. The selection of data is severely restricted and lacks overall development, reflecting a minimal attempt at the task.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
There is some basic organisation attempted, but the response lacks clear overall progression due to its incomplete nature and very short length. The student attempts to structure the essay using mechanical transition phrases such as 'Firstly, we will discuss about...', but referencing and paragraphing are poorly managed. Sentences are broken up into disjointed single-sentence paragraphs, and logical cohesion between ideas is weak, preventing the text from flowing cohesively.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, though it is minimally adequate to convey basic concepts. There are notable lexical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'sharp escalate' instead of 'sharp escalation', 'it's population' instead of 'its population', and 'facaes a downfall'. Word choices are simple and restrict the student's ability to discuss data trends with precision, leading to some awkwardness that strains the reader at times.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on basic, repetitive sentence patterns. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'the percentage were stable', missing articles, and awkward prepositional usage ('discuss about' instead of 'discuss'). These frequent errors and the lack of complex sentence forms cause some difficulty and distraction for the reader.
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