Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-13
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 4.5)
Currently, the demographic structure of several nations is leaning toward a larger population of young adults compared to the elderly. In my opinion, advantages of a predominantly larger young population significantly outweigh the potential drawbacks.
On the one hand, young adults serve as a powerful engine for the country's social and economic growth and development. They are more adaptive, innovative, and eager to acquire modern skills, making them vital assets in today's fast-changing labour market. The young entrepreneurs establish new ventures, working tirelessly to drive more production and economic growth overall. Today's high digital literacy enables the youngsters to excel in the modern technological sector. Beyond business, a dynamic youth demographic fosters active civic engagement, encouraging governments to address pressing social concerns and promote policy reforms.
On the other hand, a larger youth population presents noticeable infrastructure challenges. The demand rises for quality of education, better health facilities and employment. This fosters intense competition leading to unemployment if national infrastructure fails to expand at the same time.
In conclusion, although a high concentration of young adults population increases competition for limited resources, overall contributions of a dynamic and skillful youth to the country's long-term goals, makes this trend far more advantageous.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 2.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 2.0
It appears the student has mistakenly answered an IELTS Writing Task 2 (essay about population demographics) instead of the required Academic Task 1 (map description of Islip). Because this response completely fails to address the prompt regarding the maps showing the centre of Islip and its proposed developments, it cannot achieve a satisfactory score for Task Achievement. The student discusses the advantages of a young population, which is entirely off-topic for a diagram/map summary task. Consequently, Task Achievement is severely impacted, resulting in a band score of 2.0 due to the total misinterpretation of the task type.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
Despite being off-topic for the prompt, the text itself possesses an internal logic and clear paragraph structure. The essay is divided into a clear introduction stating the writer's opinion, two distinct body paragraphs presenting contrasting arguments, and a concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the paragraphs. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and logically. If evaluated purely as an essay, the coherence would score much higher, but considering the structural demands of the intended task type, the organisation reflects a Task 2 format rather than a Task 1 overview.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate and functional range of vocabulary suitable for discussing social and demographic topics. Phrases such as 'powerful engine', 'vital assets', 'fast-changing labour market', and 'active civic engagement' show a good attempt to use less common lexical items. There are minor awkward collocations, such as 'young adults population', but these do not impede overall understanding. Spelling is accurate throughout the response. The lexical resource is generally clear and precise, showing a reasonable command of vocabulary despite the task mismatch.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms. Examples of complex structures include 'They are more adaptive, innovative, and eager to acquire modern skills, making them vital assets in today's fast-changing labour market.' There are some minor grammatical errors, such as the missing article in 'young adults population' and a slight punctuation/comma issue in the conclusion ('resources, overall contributions... makes this trend'), but the majority of sentences are grammatically sound and communication is never impeded by these slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.