Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

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

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The line graph delineates the average carbon dioxide released by every person in the given countries from 1967 to 2007, the countries mentioned are United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, and Portugal.

Overall, it is apparent that Portugal holds the top spot in emission of CO2, single person released nearly 1 metric tonnes of gas in 1967 which significantly increased to more than 5 metric tonnes. Whereas, for Sweden it increased till 1977 from approximately 9 metric tonnes to just more than 10 metric tonnes, then sharply fall to nearly 5 in 2007.

Concurrently, Italy also saw the considerable rise of CO2 from 1967 to 1977 by almost 2 metric tonnes of gas, 4 metric tonnes in 1967. Noticeably, in United Kingdom the emission of CO2 by each person did not soar for single decade, it remains nearly 11 till 1977 then fell 10 in 1987 and by 2007 it was lower than 9 metric tonnes. It is evident that only Italy and Portugal have swell in value, while UK and Sweden plummeted by tonnes of metric.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, but there are significant inaccuracies in the data interpretation. For example, you state that Portugal holds the 'top spot' in emissions, whereas the graph clearly shows the UK and Sweden starting at much higher levels. Additionally, your description of the UK's trend as 'not soaring' is vague, and the claim that Sweden 'sharply fell' to 5 is inaccurate, as the graph shows it ending closer to 6. While you attempt to select and report main features, the misreading of the data prevents a clear and accurate summary of the trends, which is a requirement for higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused. For instance, 'Concurrently' is used to introduce a new paragraph, but it does not effectively link the ideas to the previous one. The referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as in the final sentence where 'plummeted by tonnes of metric' is grammatically awkward and confusing. While there is an overall progression, the logical flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by these issues.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'delineates', 'considerable rise', and 'plummeted'. However, there are frequent errors in word choice and collocation that hinder precision. For example, 'single person released' should be 'emissions per person', and 'swell in value' is not a natural collocation in this context. Furthermore, the phrase 'tonnes of metric' is incorrect; it should be 'metric tonnes'. These errors show a limited control over academic vocabulary, though the meaning remains generally clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'the countries mentioned are United Kingdom' (missing article), 'it remains nearly 11 till 1977 then fell 10' (tense inconsistency), and 'did not soar for single decade' (missing article). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures. Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels disjointed.

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

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