Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-01
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 illustrates the amount of average carbon dioxide released per person of five countries from 1967 to 2007.
In overall, People living in United Kingdom recorded highest amount of carbon dioxide emission over the given period. On the other side, the emitted amount increased gradually by average people of Italy and Portugal while, there is sharp decline in that for Sweden.
Initially, the average amount of carbon dioxide gas exhaled per person was lesser than 2 metric tonnes in Portugal and only above the 4 metric tonnes in Italy in 1967. With time, both countries showed consistent increment of gas amount reaching near to 6 and 8 metric tonnes respectively by Italy and Sweden.
Conversely, United Kingdom showed only few decrement on its average emission of carbon dioxide by citizens from around 11 to 9 metric tonnes, however, they remained at the top over the period all the time in compared to others. In terms of Sweden, It was above 8 metric tonnes in 1967 which sharply rose to above 10 followed by huge decline of its amount to only below 6 metric tonnes per person.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides a clear overview of the main trends, identifying the highest emitter (UK) and the contrasting patterns for the other countries. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you mention five countries in the introduction, but the graph only displays four. Furthermore, you state that Italy and Sweden reached 6 and 8 metric tonnes respectively, which does not align with the visual data provided. While you successfully highlight the main features and make relevant comparisons, the factual errors regarding the data points prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure that you carefully cross-reference your descriptions with the graph to maintain accuracy.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific trends. Cohesive devices such as 'In overall', 'On the other side', 'Initially', and 'Conversely' are used to link ideas. However, some of these transitions are slightly unnatural or misused, such as 'In overall' (should be 'Overall') and 'On the other side' (which is better suited for contrasting opinions rather than data trends). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the mechanical use of some linking words limits the flow. Improving the variety and precision of your cohesive devices will help achieve a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'gradually', 'sharp decline', 'consistent increment', and 'metric tonnes'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'gas exhaled per person' (carbon dioxide is emitted, not exhaled by people in this context) and 'few decrement' (which is grammatically incorrect). There is also a lack of precision in describing the data. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, the errors in word choice and the misuse of technical terms indicate a need for more precise and natural phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'People living in United Kingdom recorded highest amount' (missing articles), 'there is sharp decline' (incorrect tense/article usage), and 'in compared to others' (incorrect preposition). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and punctuation. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing. Focusing on article usage and consistent verb tenses will significantly improve your accuracy.
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.