Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-13

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 the number of the population in four Asia countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020,alongside projections for 2030 and 2040.

At a glance,Philippine recorded as a highest while Indonesia accounted the lowest number of people.Over the time philippine sharply change

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies the chart’s subject and time span, and the overview attempts to compare countries. However, the claim that the Philippines was highest is inaccurate: Malaysia had the largest urban share from 2000 onward and is projected to remain highest, while Indonesia—not the Philippines—was lowest only in the earlier years. The response also gives no usable figures or account of the countries’ contrasting trends, and “Philippine sharply change” is unfinished. The required minimum of 150 words was not met; the response contains 38 words, 112 short, and the task instructions note that eight copied prompt words were excluded. To improve, provide a clear overview and select key comparisons supported by approximate data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview signalled by “At a glance.” This gives the reader a simple starting structure. However, the response ends before developing any sequence of details, so there is no progression through the countries or time periods, and the final phrase is incomplete. The comma spacing in “2020,alongside” and “glance,Philippine” also makes the text harder to read. Build a complete report with separate introduction, overview, and detail paragraphs; use clear links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to guide comparisons rather than leaving ideas unfinished.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “line graph,” “projections,” “population,” and “cities,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is very limited, and several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “number of the population” does not describe a percentage, “four Asia countries” is not a natural phrase, and “accounted the lowest number” is an unsuitable collocation. “Philippine” is also not the correct country name in this context. Use precise terms such as “proportion,” “urban population,” and “share,” and name the countries consistently. A wider set of trend verbs—such as “rose,” “declined,” and “levelled off”—would help describe the data accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a complex opening sentence with “from 1970 to 2020, alongside projections,” and the basic meaning is partly understandable. However, grammatical control is weak in the overview: “Philippine recorded as a highest” is missing a suitable verb construction and has incorrect article use, while “Indonesia accounted the lowest number” lacks the required preposition and a clear grammatical structure. “Over the time philippine sharply change” is not a complete sentence and has an incorrect verb form. Punctuation spacing is also inconsistent. Practise complete comparative sentences, for example, “Malaysia had the highest proportion, while Indonesia had the lowest in 1970,” and check articles, verb forms, and sentence endings.

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

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