User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 8.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

185 words AcademicTask 1Line Graph

Task 1

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Ideas to explore

Compare the overall upward direction with differences in pace: Malaysia rises steadily, while Indonesia’s growth accelerates after 2000.
Highlight meaningful exceptions to a simple upward trend, especially the Philippines’ fall after 1990 and Thailand’s extended plateau.
Use the final-year figures to compare the projected ranking: Malaysia is highest, Indonesia next, the Philippines below it, and Thailand lowest.

Suggested structure

Paraphrase the graph’s subject, countries, and time span in the introduction.
Give an overview of the overall direction and the main contrast in projected levels.
Describe starting values and Malaysia’s steady rise.
Compare the Philippines’ dip and recovery with Indonesia’s stronger later growth.
Finish the detailed comparison with Thailand’s plateau and forecast increase.

Useful vocabulary & examples

urban population share: the percentage of a population living in cities
Malaysia’s urban population share is projected to exceed 80% by 2040.
reach a peak: attain the highest point in a period
The Philippines reached a peak of about 48% in 1990.
remain broadly stable: stay at a similar level, with little overall change
Thailand’s figure remained broadly stable near 30% for several years.
be projected to: be expected or forecast to happen
Indonesia’s urban share is projected to reach about 64% in 2040.

Task Prompt

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in 4 Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040

User Essay Analysis

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Band 8.0

The line graph presents data on the urban population percentages in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia from 1970 to 2020, along with projected figures for 2030 and 2040. Overall, there was a consistent upward trend in urban population percentages for all four countries from 1970 to 2020, and this trend is predicted to continue, although it was not completely steady in every case. Malaysia recorded the strongest and most sustained growth, rising from about 30% in 1970 to just over 80% by 2040, and remained the most urbanised country from around 2000 onwards. Indonesia also climbed markedly, from roughly 15% to the mid-60s, with its increase becoming particularly pronounced after 2000.

By contrast, the Philippines rose to a high of just under 50% in 1990, then declined to the low 40s by 2010 before recovering gradually to the mid-50s in 2040. Thailand had the lowest starting figure, at about 18%, and grew more slowly during the earlier decades. Its proportion is projected to reach approximately 50% by 2040. Indonesia overtook the Philippines around 2010, while Malaysia finished well ahead of the other three countries.

Targeted Improvement Tips

Revise the overview to distinguish the general upward direction from uninterrupted growth; specifically note the Philippines’ temporary decline.

Check the crossing point of Indonesia and the Philippines, then use it as a concise comparison to connect their trends rather than listing each country in isolation.

Use approximate figures selectively at the start and end of major trends, and avoid adding precise values where the graph does not make them clear.

AI Feedback

Overall Band

8.0

Excellent

Words

185

Type

Line Graph

Criteria Breakdown

Task Achievement

7.5 Band

The answer gives a clear overview and selects the main comparisons, including Malaysia’s strong rise and the Philippines’ dip and recovery. However, “a consistent upward trend … for all four countries from 1970 to 2020” overstates the pattern: the Philippines falls after 1990, and Thailand changes little over some intervals. Your later qualification helps, but revise the overview itself to say the overall trend was upward while acknowledging fluctuations.

Coherence & Cohesion

8.0 Band

The progression from overview to country-specific details is easy to follow. “By contrast” effectively introduces the Philippines and Thailand after the discussion of Malaysia and Indonesia, while the final comparison gives the reader a useful endpoint. For an even clearer grouping, consider comparing the Philippines and Indonesia together around the point where their figures cross, then finish with the two countries’ projected 2040 positions.

Lexical Resource

7.5 Band

The answer uses suitable, varied trend language, including “most sustained growth,” “climbed markedly,” and “recovering gradually.” These phrases communicate direction and pace without sounding informal. Some wording is less exact: “consistent” conflicts with the Philippines’ fluctuations, and “urban population percentages” is repeated. Use “overall rise” in the overview and vary later references with “urban share” or “proportion living in cities.”

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

8.0 Band

The answer controls complex sentences well, for example in “the Philippines rose … then declined … before recovering gradually,” and uses subordinate clauses and participle phrases accurately. The long opening overview is understandable, but its coordination makes the inaccurate trend claim harder to qualify cleanly. Split it into a concise overview sentence followed by a separate sentence noting that the Philippines fluctuated. No recurring grammatical errors are evident.

Topic Band Distribution

Band 9.03 examples

Band 8.03 examples

Band 7.03 examples

Band 6.03 examples

Band 5.03 examples

Band 4.03 examples

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