Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-10

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 5.5)

The line graph demonstrates the release of carbon dioxide in mainly four countries in 1967 to 2007 Overall, in italy and portugal rose in exhalation but in both states swede and united kingdom rapidly decrease in outflow of CO2 it can be calculated in metric tonnes

On the one hand , Protugal at the initially stay static betwwen 1967 to 1987 but gradually increased in 1997 till 2007 almost 7 metric tones . Similarly , italy show the flucate behaviour as it arise in 1997 almost 6.1 metric tones but drop down between 1987 to 1997 round about 7.6 metric tones till 2007 .

On the other hand , sweden on starting year 1967 to 1977 goes high as counted 10.4 metric tones but after a while, instantaly declined in 1997 recorded 6.1 tones but after more fall in 2007 estimated 4.8 metric tones . Furthermore , the united kingdom show static behaviour as arise little in 1967 to 1987 but after decreased .

On concluding , two countries rose abd two countires declined .

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast that emissions rose in Italy and Portugal while falling in Sweden and the UK, and you attempt to compare all four countries. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear, which limits how fully the graph is reported. Portugal did not remain static from 1967 to 1987: it rose steadily from about 1.2 to 3.3 tonnes, reaching roughly 5.4 by 2007, not almost 7. Italy generally increased and then levelled off; it did not drop between 1987 and 1997. Sweden peaked in 1977 before declining, while the UK decreased gradually throughout. Make the overview precise and select a few accurate figures to support each trend.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an opening overview, two body paragraphs contrasting the countries, and a concluding sentence. Phrases such as “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because time periods and changes are not consistently presented in chronological order. For example, the Italy sentence gives the 1997 figure before describing the earlier 1987–1997 period, and the Portugal account is hard to reconcile with the graph. The conclusion repeats the overview rather than adding useful synthesis. Organise each country’s figures from earliest to latest and use clearer links between stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “declined,” “increased,” “static behaviour,” and “fluctuate.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a graph description, such as “release” and “exhalation” for emissions, and “goes high” for a rise. Spelling errors—including “Protugal,” “betwwen,” and “countires”—also make the writing less clear. Some phrases, such as “instantaly declined” and “drop down,” do not express the trend naturally. Build a reliable set of collocations for line graphs, and check spelling and word forms carefully. Prefer precise verbs such as “rose,” “fell,” “peaked,” and “levelled off.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You try to use both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “but,” “as,” and “after.” However, many sentences contain errors in tense, agreement, articles, and sentence construction, so the reader sometimes has to work to understand the intended meaning. For example, “in italy and portugal rose” lacks a clear subject, while “italy show the flucate behaviour as it arise” has inconsistent verb forms. The opening also runs several ideas together without effective punctuation. Use a consistent past tense for the historical data, make each sentence’s subject explicit, and check subject–verb agreement. Shorter, accurately formed sentences would improve clarity before you attempt more complex structures.

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