Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-26

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)

"Percentage of the Population living in cities"

The Percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. First of all there are 4 cities in this graph are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the marks denoted to this cities are cross for the Thailand, triangle for the Indonesia, square for the Philippines and the diamond like symbol are denoted to Malaysia. In the year 1970 the percentage of population of this four cities are 14% of the Indonesia, 18% of the Thailand, 30% of the Malaysia, 31% of the Philippines at this the higher population city is Philippines and less population is Indonesia, But at the time years are continuing go to forward at this stage of the year 2020 the less population city is Thailand and higher population city is Malaysia, But my Prediction for the year of 2030 and 2040 is the same Cities because of this Environment, Political Parties and Humanism

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the countries and gives several starting figures, then notes that Malaysia is highest and Thailand lowest in 2020. However, it does not provide a clear overview of the main trends across the period, and most of the graph’s development is omitted: for example, Malaysia’s strong rise and Indonesia’s substantial growth are not described. The statement about “my Prediction” for 2030 and 2040 is not a report of the graph’s projections, and the references to “Environment, Political Parties and Humanism” are unsupported. The response is also six words below the 150-word minimum; 22 words copied from the task prompt were excluded from the count. To improve, summarise the overall patterns and report the projected figures or trends accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic sequence from identifying the graph to describing 1970 and then 2020, and the reader can follow the intended comparison between the highest and lowest figures. However, the response is largely one continuous paragraph, with no clear overview or separate stages to guide the reader. Linking words such as “First of all,” “But,” and “at this stage” are repetitive or awkwardly used, and the final prediction does not connect logically to the data. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing the main trends. Use transitions to show time changes and contrasts, rather than relying on repeated “But.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “population,” “predictions,” and “higher” and “less” to make comparisons. This gives it a minimally adequate vocabulary for communicating basic information. However, wording is repetitive and often imprecise: “four cities” refers to countries, while “marks denoted to this cities” makes the chart symbols difficult to understand. Phrases such as “the time years are continuing go to forward” and “my Prediction” are not natural choices for describing a graph. Use standard terms such as “countries,” “urban population,” “rose,” and “is projected to,” and avoid introducing unrelated concepts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine information in longer sentences, and some basic statements, such as “the higher population city is Philippines,” communicate a comparison. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and longer attempts often contain errors that make the relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “there are 4 cities in this graph are…” has faulty clause structure, while “at the time years are continuing go to forward” has problems with verb form and sentence construction. Articles and agreement are also inconsistent in phrases such as “the Philippines” and “this cities.” Practise writing short, accurate comparison sentences first, then combine them using controlled clauses and consistent past or future forms.

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

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