Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The line graph illustrates the emissions by carbon dioxide by every person in four countries UK, Sweden, Italy and Portugal by the given period from 1967 to 2007.

It is clear from the graph, UK shows the heighest number of emissions in 1967 with 11 metric tons per person. In conrtast, Portugal show the lowest number of emissions in 1967 with 6 metric ton.

Uk, as the graph below has a huge emmissions from 1967 to 1977 the emissions dropped sharply,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the graph’s subject and correctly notes that the UK had the highest emissions in 1967. However, it misreports Portugal’s starting figure: it was about 1.2 tonnes per person, not 6. More importantly, the report is incomplete: it gives no overview of the main trends across the four countries and stops partway through a sentence about the UK. The claim that UK emissions dropped sharply from 1967 to 1977 is also inaccurate; they changed very little over that decade. At 81 words, the response does not meet the 150-word minimum. To address the task more fully, summarise the overall rises and falls, compare the countries, and support these points with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence introduces the graph, followed by a comparison of the highest and lowest figures. The phrase “In contrast” also signals a relationship between the two countries. However, the response has no developed progression through the data, and the final paragraph ends abruptly after “the emissions dropped sharply,” leaving the idea unfinished. The paragraphing does not yet separate an overview from supporting details, and the link between the opening and the limited comparisons is weak. A clearer sequence—introduction, overview, then selected comparisons by country or period—would make the information easier to follow. Use linking expressions to clarify comparisons, not as a substitute for complete ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “metric tons,” and “line graph,” so the subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Emissions by carbon dioxide by every person” is an awkward way to describe per-person CO₂ emissions, while “huge emissions” is imprecise for reporting a chart. There are also spelling errors in “heighest,” “conrtast,” and “emmissions,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for concise, standard chart language such as “per-capita emissions,” “stood at,” and “declined gradually.” Check spelling carefully and avoid repeating “emissions” where a clear pronoun or alternative phrasing would work.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both a longer introductory sentence and shorter reporting sentences, but the range of structures is limited and several sentences are faulty. In “It is clear from the graph, UK shows…,” the comma incorrectly joins the introductory phrase to the main clause, and the country name needs an article or a more natural subject construction. “Portugal show” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “Portugal show the lowest number … with 6 metric ton” also has a number agreement problem. The final sentence is incomplete and contains a comma splice before “the emissions dropped sharply.” Practise complete sentences with accurate subjects and verbs, and use full stops or suitable conjunctions to connect clauses.

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