Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-14
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 illustrate average carbon dioxide emissions by per person in different four countries such as the UK, Sweden, Portugal and Italy from year 1967 to 2007. Units was measured in tones . Overall, UK and Sweden shows a highest carbon emissions rate in a beginning, which decline after some period. In contrast, Italy and Portugal steadily increase from year 1967 to 2007. UK reach a peak in carbon dioxide emission at rate of 11% in 1967 which significantly decrease to 8.5% in 2007. Sweden also experienced a higher rate of emissions such as 10.5% in 1977, which substantially reduce to half 5.5% in a year 2007. In contrast, Italy shows a consistent climb up to 7.5% in 2007. While Portugal was a only country which started at 1% and steadily increase to 5.5% in year 2007 just like Sweden.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the line graph regarding CO2 emissions in the UK, Sweden, Italy, and Portugal from 1967 to 2007, and makes some relevant comparisons. An overview is provided at the beginning, noting the general trends. However, the response has a few noticeable issues: it misinterprets the unit of measurement as percentages ("11%", "8.5%") instead of metric tonnes per person, and the overall word count falls short at 141 words, which is below the mandatory 150-word minimum requirement. Consequently, this penalises the task achievement score, as key data points and the overall response length are partially compromised. To improve, ensure all data is accurately read from the axes and meet the word count.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text demonstrates a basic attempt at organisation, featuring an introductory sentence, an overview, and subsequent body details. However, the lack of proper paragraphing significantly hinders logical progression, as all sentences are lumped into one dense block of text. Cohesive devices such as "In contrast" and "While" are used, but their application is sometimes repetitive and mechanical. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as when comparing countries. To achieve a higher band, the student must separate their ideas into distinct paragraphs, including a dedicated overview paragraph and well-structured body paragraphs, while using a wider variety of cohesive links naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited but minimally adequate for conveying basic trends. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as "significantly decrease", "substantially reduce", and "consistent climb up". However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as "by per person in different four countries", using "tones" instead of "tonnes", and incorrectly treating emission figures as percentages rather than tonnes. Spelling and word formation errors are present. To improve, the student should expand their vocabulary related to data trends, ensure correct word forms and spellings, and pay closer attention to the correct units of measurement presented in visual prompts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as sentences featuring relative clauses or contrastive structures ("While Portugal was a only country which started..."). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors that cause noticeable strain for the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ("The line graph illustrate", "UK and Sweden shows", "Italy and Portugal steadily increase"), missing articles ("was a only country"), and preposition errors ("emissions by per person"). While these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, their high frequency prevents the student from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic grammatical control and error checking is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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