Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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 provides data on the average carbon dioxide emissions per head in four countries the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, and Portugal, from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, we can see that, the United Kingdom and sweden were most carbon dioxide emission contries inthe begaing but they reduce the emisson day by day. unlike uk and sweden the image of carbon emmision is quite oposite for italy and portugal.

1967, the emission of carbon dioxide was at its peak, almost 11%, compared to other countries. by 2007 that percentage dropped to a bit less than 9%. the percentage of carbon emmisioon in sweden was less than 9% in 1967 while 1977 it reached over 10%; by 2007 it fell to approximately 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s subject and report two relevant trends: UK emissions declined, while Sweden rose to a high point in 1977 before falling. However, the response addresses the task only partially. It gives no account of Italy or Portugal, despite their substantial increases, and the overview does not clearly compare all four countries or identify the UK as the highest emitter by 2007. The phrase “almost 11%” also gives the wrong unit: the chart measures metric tonnes per person, not percentages. The response is 28 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, include a concise overview of all four trends and support it with a few accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation: an introduction is followed by an overview and then details about the UK and Sweden. The contrast marker “unlike” also signals a comparison. However, the response does not progress through the full set of information, and the final paragraph stops after Sweden, leaving Italy and Portugal unreported. Some linking is awkward or unclear, as in “Overall, we can see that, …” and “while 1977 it reached…”. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and grouped details, and connect comparisons explicitly—for example, contrast the declining UK and Swedish figures with the rising Italian and Portuguese figures. This would create a clearer progression rather than a sequence of incomplete observations.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “average carbon dioxide emissions,” “per head,” “reached,” and “dropped.” However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the account less clear, such as “emisson,” “emmisioon,” “contries,” and “oposite.” “The image of carbon emmision” is not a natural way to describe a trend, and “percentage” is inaccurate because the chart reports emissions in metric tonnes. Aim for precise chart language and check spelling carefully. Phrases such as “emissions per person,” “declined steadily,” and “rose to a peak” would help you describe the data more naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer comparison, and the main meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently. For example, “the United Kingdom and sweden were most carbon dioxide emission contries” lacks the article and has an unclear noun structure; “they reduce” uses the wrong tense for a period ending in 2007; and “while 1977 it reached” is missing a preposition and has an incomplete clause. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, including the lower-case sentence opening “by 2007.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete comparison clauses, such as “In 1977, Sweden’s emissions reached…”

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