Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-21
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 chart illustrates the proportion of average carbon dioxide emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.
Overall, it is clear that the United Kingdom and Swden experiecned an upward trend in begining years, it were saw a decline end of the period. Portugal had the lowest percentage of carbon dioxide emissions per person. The United Kingdom recorded the highest share of emmions per person.
To begin with, The United Kingdom accounted for largest percentage of carbon dioxide at 11 metric tonnes in 1967, then this trend was decreasing continuously and it stood at 9 metric tonnes. Sweden had the second biggest country which was 9 metric tonnes in 1967, it reached a peak above 10 metric tonnes in 1977. After that, it was rising steady at over 5 metric tonnes in 2007.
Turning to the next details, the proportion of Italy which was 4 metric tonnes in 1967, then it increased to approximately 9 metric tonnes in 2007. Portugal had the lowest share of emmisions per person at 1 metric tonnes, it saw a dramatic rise and stood at 5 metric tonnes in 2007.
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 student attempts to cover all four countries shown in the graph and outlines main trends, such as the UK and Sweden experiencing a decline towards the end of the period, while Italy and Portugal saw increases. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For example, the student states that the UK and Sweden experienced an upward trend in the beginning years, which is incorrect for the UK (its emissions were fairly static then declined). Furthermore, several figures are misread or poorly described, such as Sweden rising steadily 'at over 5 metric tonnes in 2007' after peaking, and Italy going from 4 to 9 metric tonnes. The overview is also a bit flawed due to these inaccuracies. This places the response in Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into four paragraphs, including a brief introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the countries. Cohesive devices are attempted ('To begin with', 'Turning to the next details'), but they can feel somewhat mechanical. Paragraphing is clear, and there is a discernible overall progression from introduction to overview to specific details. However, referencing and logical transitions between sentences are sometimes weak, particularly in the overview where the sentence structure breaks down ('it were saw a decline'). Despite these lapses, the text maintains a coherent overall arrangement, justifying a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with standard terms like 'proportion', 'carbon dioxide emissions', and 'peak'. However, there are numerous spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as 'Swden', 'experiecned', 'begining', 'emmions', and 'rising steady' instead of 'steadily'. The student attempts less common vocabulary, but these inaccuracies and non-standard collocations restrict the score. The range is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many of these attempts are faulty. There are several serious grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'it were saw a decline end of the period', 'Sweden had the second biggest country', and run-on sentences joined inappropriately with commas (e.g., 'then this trend was decreasing continuously and it stood at 9 metric tonnes'). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader and impede smooth communication, placing the grammatical accuracy firmly at Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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