Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-08

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 represents average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007. CO2 emission is great threat to human health.

In 1967 in Portugal, CO2 emission was around 1 metric tonne. With the passage of time it rasied to 5.5 metric tonnes in 2007. Similarly, in 1967 in Italy CO2 emissions ranges from 4.3 metric tonnes to 7.8 tonnes in 2007. If we have a glance at the history of Sweden, CO2 emissions was very high with 8.7 metric tonnes in 1967 which later reduced to 5.5 mertic tonnes in 2007. United Kingdom was at higher level of CO2 emission in 1967 with 11 metric tonnes of carbondioxide emissions. Later, it reduced to 9 mertic tonnes. Out of these four countries, UK is still at the highest level of CO2 emissions

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the graph’s subject and report several relevant figures, including Portugal’s rise from about 1 to 5.5 tonnes and the UK’s comparatively high emissions. However, the response only partially summarises the main features: it lacks a clear overview of the contrasting trends, and the unrelated claim that CO₂ is “a great threat to human health” does not describe the graph. Some figures are inaccurate: Sweden began at about 8.6, not 8.7 (a small difference), while Italy ended at about 7.6, not 7.8, and the UK at about 8.7, not 9. The response also contains 127 words, below the required 150. Add an overview and cover the key changes and comparisons more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a broadly understandable sequence, moving from Portugal and Italy to Sweden and the UK, and phrases such as “Similarly” and “Later” help connect some information. However, it is presented as one paragraph and has no distinct overview, so the reader is not guided from the main trends to supporting details. The repeated country-by-country pattern also feels like a list rather than a developed summary, and “Out of these four countries” does not clearly connect the final comparison to the preceding figures. Use a short overview paragraph followed by a paragraph grouping the rising countries and those whose emissions fell or levelled off. Make each linking phrase express a precise relationship.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “metric tonnes,” “reduced,” and “higher level,” so the basic meaning is generally clear. However, the range is limited and some expressions are imprecise or unsuitable for describing data. “CO2 emission is great threat to human health” is an unsupported general statement, while “ranges from 4.3 … to 7.8” is not a natural way to describe Italy’s change over time. There are also spelling errors such as “rasied,” “mertic,” and “carbondioxide,” which reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of trend verbs and comparison phrases, and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt some complex sentence forms, for example, “With the passage of time it …” and “which later reduced…,” and the reader can usually understand the intended comparisons. However, control is uneven, particularly with tense and subject–verb agreement: “CO2 emissions ranges” should use a plural verb, while “CO2 emissions was” should be “were.” The phrase “CO2 emission was around 1 metric tonne” also needs an article in the earlier general statement (“a great threat”) and more consistent plural forms. Most sentences rely on similar simple reporting patterns, so the grammatical range remains limited. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and vary sentence structures while keeping each comparison clear.

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