Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-15

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 data displays the average carbon dioxide emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the United Kingdom is leading the chart but gradually declines and Sweden is also decrease after enjoying some years on top. However, Italy and Portugal are increasing gradually by the decades.

The United Kingdom has more than 10 persons of carbon dioxide emissions from 1967 to 1977 but graph shows a clear decline in emission after 1977, from then to 2007 it decreases. Sweden has up to 8 persons of carbon dioxide emissions in 1967 but it also has a strong decline after the prime years of increasing the persons more than 10. Italy has around 4 persons initially but it also increased from 1977 to 1997. Now, it has a steady run till 2007. Portugal ends at the table initially but after it shows a gradual increase in carbon dioxide emissions per person. It has 2 average people till 1977 but after that it shows good improvement in numbers till 2007. Overall, the United Kingdom led the chart after decreasing in numbers over the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the four countries and the overall contrast between the UK/Sweden and Italy/Portugal, and you include several relevant figures or time points. The account correctly notes the UK’s gradual decline and Portugal’s rise, but some comparisons are incomplete or imprecise. The overview says the UK is “leading” throughout, although Italy overtakes Sweden by 1997 and finishes second, while Portugal and Sweden end at roughly the same level. Sweden’s peak is described vaguely as “prime years,” and the UK’s figures are not consistently expressed as emissions. To strengthen the response, give a clearer overview of the changing rankings and use accurate, comparable values to support the main trends rather than repeating the claim that the UK led.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable introduction, overview and body discussion, and it generally moves from the overall pattern to individual countries. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the final sentence repeats the claim that the UK led and declined, while “Overall” is used both near the beginning and at the end. Some links are unclear, such as “after enjoying some years on top” and “after the prime years,” which make the sequence of Sweden’s changes difficult to follow. The country-by-country reporting also shifts abruptly, with limited comparison between series. Organise the body into clearer comparisons—for example, declining UK and Sweden versus rising Italy and Portugal—and use precise references to connect each trend.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “average,” “gradual increase,” “decline” and “steady,” so the reader can identify the general trends. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the data difficult to interpret. “More than 10 persons of carbon dioxide emissions” confuses people with tonnes, and “Portugal ends at the table initially” does not clearly express that it began with the lowest emissions. Phrases such as “good improvement in numbers” are also informal and imprecise for an academic report. Aim to use the unit consistently and choose neutral reporting language, such as “emissions per person,” “rose to,” and “remained stable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement and sentence construction. For example, “Sweden is also decrease” should be “Sweden also decreased,” while “Italy and Portugal are increasing gradually by the decades” needs a more suitable tense and structure. The sentence beginning “Sweden has up to 8 persons” also combines an inaccurate construction with unclear time reference. Some sentences join several ideas with “but” or “after” without clear grammatical relationships, and punctuation around these clauses is inconsistent. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build shorter, controlled comparisons before adding subordinate clauses.

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.