Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-26

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 graph depicts the emmission of carbon dioxide per person in United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007. In 1967 the emission of carbon dioxide was highest in UK amounting to 11metric tone per person. On the other hand, Portugal emitted less carbon dioxide with only 1 metric ton per person. Italy produced second less carbon dioxide with 4.5 metric tones in 1967 while Sweden was second highest with 8.9 metric tones of CO2 emitted.

The emision of CO2 gradually decreased in UK after 1967 wile in Portugal annd italy it increased until 2007. On the other hand, the emission of carbon dioxide drastically increased in Sweden in the following year and then it declined until 2007. However, the emission of carbondioxide was highest in UK even though it kept on increasing in other countries. italy is likely to be the highest country to produce carbon dioxide after 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the prompt by reporting the main features of the graph, such as the starting points in 1967 and the general trends for the four countries. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reading the data, such as stating the UK started at '11 metric tone' (actual value approx 10.8) and Italy at '4.5 metric tones' (actual value approx 4.3). Furthermore, the overview lacks precision and the final sentence ('italy is likely to be the highest country...') is speculative and inaccurate based on the trend provided. The response covers the task broadly, but the lack of precise data reporting and the underdeveloped overview place it within Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is organized into two main paragraphs, separating the initial data points from subsequent trends. However, the progression is sometimes disjointed. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, heavily relying on connectors like 'On the other hand' (used twice in close succession) and 'However'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks smooth transitions. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'the following year' which is vague when referring to a decade-by-decade graph. Overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow, matching Band 5 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting words related to data trends such as 'decreased', 'increased', 'declined', and 'highest'. However, there are multiple spelling errors ('emmission', 'tone' instead of tonnes, 'annd', 'italy' uncapitalized) and collocation slips ('second less carbon dioxide'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success. The lexical errors are noticeable and detract from the quality, though they do not completely impede understanding, which aligns with Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, such as concessive clauses ('even though it kept on increasing'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly missing articles ('in UK', 'highest country'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation issues. Errors in verb tense consistency also appear. While some sentences are clear, the density of grammatical inaccuracies causes some difficulty for the reader and prevents the writing from reaching a higher band, fitting the Band 5 criteria well.

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

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