Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-26

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 4.5)

The table illustrates the percentage of households that had internet access in four different countries in 2000, 2010 and 2020.

Overall, the proportion of households with internet access increased in all four countries over the period. The UK recorded the highest figures in each year, while New Zealand consistently had the lowest percentages.

In 2000, 60% of households in the UK had internet access, compared with 55% in Canada. These figures rose steadily to 68% and 63%, respectively, in 2010. By 2020, the percentages had increased further to 75% in the UK and 70% in Canada.

Australia and New Zealand followed a similar upward pattern. The proportion for Australia climbed from 50% in 2000 to 58% in 2010 and then to 66% in 2020. Meanwhile, New Zealand remained the lowest of the four countries, although its figure also increased substantially from 45% to 60% over the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 1.0

The student has written about an internet usage table for four countries rather than responding to the actual prompt, which requires summarising the redesign of a college cafe. Because the response is completely off-topic and also falls short of the 150-word minimum at 147 words, it fails to meet the basic requirements of Task 1. Consequently, it cannot receive a passing grade for Task Achievement and must be placed at Band 1.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

Although the response is entirely irrelevant to the visual data provided in the prompt, the internal organisation of the text itself demonstrates logical sequencing. The writer uses standard paragraphing, introducing an overview followed by body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 2000', 'Meanwhile', and referencing pronouns are used appropriately. If evaluated purely on structural organisation and cohesion independent of the missing task prompt, it shows clear progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suited for describing statistical data and trends, employing terms such as 'proportion', 'increased steadily', 'upward pattern', and 'climbed'. Word choice is generally natural and appropriate for reporting percentages, showing that the writer has command of common academic vocabulary, even though the vocabulary was applied to an incorrect topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a good variety of sentence structures, mixing simple and complex forms effectively. Sentences such as 'The UK recorded the highest figures in each year, while New Zealand consistently had the lowest percentages' show good control over subordination and past tense grammar. The majority of the sentences are grammatically accurate with correct punctuation.

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

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