Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 compares the mean emissions of carbon dioxide per capita in the four countries, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.Units are measured in metric tonnes.

Overall, it can be seen that the number of emissions were relatively high in Italy and Portugal throughout. While, the United Kingdom and Sweden accounted for a gradually fall of emissions in the given period.

To begin with, the emissions fell from 11 tonnes to approximately 9 tonnes from 1967 to 2000 in the United Kingdom. Whereas in Sweden, initially the emissions rise from 8 tonnes to 10 tonnes, since they dropped from 10 tonnes to 6 tonnes.

Moreover, in Italy and Portugal the number of emissions rose from 4 tonnes to 6 and 1 tonnes to 8 tonnes by the end of 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report several broad trends, including the UK’s decline and Sweden’s rise followed by a fall. However, the overview is inaccurate: Italy and Portugal were not both relatively high throughout; Portugal began at the lowest level, while the UK and Sweden were initially the highest. The claim that UK and Sweden both fell gradually also overlooks Sweden’s marked early increase. Some figures and dates are imprecise: the UK figure is given as falling to about 9 tonnes by 2000 rather than 8.7 in 2007, and Portugal is said to reach 8 tonnes instead of about 5.4. The response is also 14 words below the required minimum. Include a more accurate overview and report the main end-point comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, with the countries grouped in a generally sensible way. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “To begin with” and “Moreover” help signal stages in the report. However, progression is weakened by the abrupt, incomplete contrast “Whereas in Sweden,” and “While” is incorrectly separated from the sentence it introduces in the overview. The final paragraph combines Italy and Portugal without clearly distinguishing their different end-point values, and the report ends without a concluding comparison. Use complete contrast clauses and organise the details so each country’s trend and final level are easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “per capita,” “metric tonnes,” “fell” and “rose,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is some variation in how trends are described, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. “The number of emissions” is not a natural way to describe quantities of gas, and “accounted for a gradually fall” is awkward. “Relatively high” also misrepresents Portugal’s low starting figure. Aim for precise chart language such as “emissions per person,” “declined steadily,” and “rose to.” Avoid repeating “emissions” where a clear reference such as “this figure” would work. More accurate vocabulary will help you describe both the direction and scale of change.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast between Sweden’s initial rise and later decline. However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms recur. In “the number of emissions were,” the subject and verb do not agree; “the emissions rise” should use a past-tense form to match the period described. The clause “Whereas in Sweden…” is incomplete, and “While,” is incorrectly punctuated as a sentence opening in the overview. The phrase “from 1967 to 2000” also does not match the chart’s final year, 2007. Use complete sentences, maintain past tense consistently, and check agreement and punctuation when joining contrasting trends.

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