Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-27

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 illustrate the emission of the carbon dioxide by per person in comparison with the four different countries which are United Kingdom,Sweden,Italy and Portugal in between the years 1967 and 2007. The highest CO2 emission country is United Kingdom and the lowest one is Portugal.

From the year 1967 the United Kingdom is at the top which is arround 11 metric tonnes and in 2007 the metric tonnes is arround 7. But the Sweden is

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the graph’s subject and name all four countries, and your opening comparison correctly notes that the UK is highest and Portugal lowest at the beginning. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it stops mid-sentence at “But the Sweden is” and gives no complete account of the other countries or the overall changes. The UK figure for 2007 is also reported as around 7 tonnes, whereas the graph shows about 8.7; the UK declines gradually, rather than reaching 7. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, which leaves the key features and comparisons undeveloped. To improve, complete the summary, give an accurate overview of the main trends, and support it with selected figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response begins with a general introduction and then attempts to move into details, so there is a basic sense of organisation. Naming the countries and referring to the years gives the reader some context. However, there is no developed progression: the second paragraph ends abruptly with “But the Sweden is,” and the other series are not discussed. The link “But” signals a contrast that is never completed, while the opening repeats the country list without establishing a clear overview of the trends. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the main comparisons, and connect complete ideas with clear transitions such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “line graph,” “emission,” “metric tonnes,” and “highest” and “lowest,” so the subject is generally understandable. However, the range is narrow and some phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “the emission of the carbon dioxide by per person” and “the metric tonnes is around 7.” The spelling “arround” is also inaccurate, and “CO2 emission country” is not a natural collocation. Choose concise, standard expressions such as “per-person CO₂ emissions” and “emissions stood at.” A broader set of trend verbs—“declined,” “rose,” “peaked,” and “levelled off”—would help you describe the graph more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both a longer introductory sentence and shorter statements, and the basic meaning is usually recoverable. However, grammatical control is uneven. In “The line graph illustrate,” the singular subject requires “illustrates”; “the United Kingdom is at the top” also needs a past-tense form to describe the historical data. The phrase “in comparison with the four different countries which are…” is structurally cumbersome, and “the metric tonnes is” has a number-agreement problem. The final clause is incomplete, leaving the sentence unfinished. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and past-tense reporting, then check that every sentence has a complete main clause.

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