Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-13

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 4.0)

The given line gragh provides information about average carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom,Sweden, Italy,Portugal from 1967 to 2007 ,over a period of 40 years.The units are measured in metric tons.

Overall, it can seen that the average carbon emissions (Co2) in Italy and Portugal showed an increasing trend,while the Uk and Sweden experienced a decreasing trend during the time

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the countries, period and unit, and its overview correctly notes that emissions rose in Italy and Portugal while falling in the UK and Sweden. However, it stops after this overview and gives no detailed reporting of the graph: there are no figures, comparisons between countries, or description of important changes such as Sweden’s peak in 1977 or Italy’s rise to the highest level by 2007. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words; 9 words copied from the prompt are excluded from the count. As a result, the task is addressed only minimally. To improve, add a body paragraph with selected data and comparisons, and ensure the report meets the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic, understandable order: an opening sentence introduces the graph, followed by an overall summary. The paragraph break helps distinguish these functions, and “Overall” signals the shift to the main trends. However, the report ends before developing those trends, so there is no progression from overview to supporting details and comparisons. Some punctuation spacing is also inconsistent, for example in “Kingdom,Sweden” and “trend,while,” which makes the presentation less polished. Build a clear structure with an introduction, an overview, and one or two body paragraphs grouped by related trends; use linking expressions to connect specific comparisons rather than relying on a single transition.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses relevant basic vocabulary, including “average,” “emissions,” “increasing trend,” and “decreasing trend,” and the reader can understand the topic. However, the range is narrow because the response contains only a brief introduction and overview, with no varied language for describing changes, peaks, stability or comparisons. There are also spelling and form issues: “gragh” should be “graph,” and “Co2” should be written “CO₂” or “CO2.” “Metric tons” is understandable, though “metric tonnes” matches the chart’s label. Expand the vocabulary by accurately describing the lines—for example, “rose steadily,” “peaked,” “declined,” and “remained stable”—and use these expressions with relevant data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response communicates its main points through simple sentence structures, including a compound sentence contrasting the countries’ trends. However, grammatical control is uneven. In “it can seen,” the passive construction is missing “be”; it should read “it can be seen.” The opening also has awkward punctuation and spacing around commas, and the final sentence lacks a full stop. The phrase “from 1967 to 2007, over a period of 40 years” is understandable but repetitive. Because the response is very short, it demonstrates little range beyond basic clauses. Practise accurate overview structures such as “Emissions in Italy and Portugal increased, whereas those in the UK and Sweden declined,” then add varied, correctly punctuated sentences to report details.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.