Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10
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 graph illustrate the information of emmission of carbon dioxide in five different countries (UK, Sweden, Italy and Portugal) between 1967 and 2007.
Overall, the trend of Italy and Portugal increased in the same proportion. Italy and Portugal joined the same period over time but portugal accounted for rose the trend wherase sweden was significantly fell down and ate one point they reached the same proportion of portugal.
In UK, emmision of cabon dioxide steadily declined throught the period between 1967 and 2007. It was approximately 11 in 1967 and decreased to 9 in 2007. Sweden showed rose in start year and the sharply fell down between 1977 and 1987 after that gradually decreased .
Generally, Italy rose up dramaticaly in first decade and the steadily incread to the 1997 and remain stable in last decade. Portugal was substantialy increased between 1967 and 1997 and then maintain the level of trend.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the downward trend in the UK and Sweden and the upward trends in Italy and Portugal. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student mentions 'five' countries but only lists four, and the description of the data is occasionally confusing, such as the claim that Sweden 'ate one point they reached the same proportion of portugal'. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting figures and the slight inaccuracy in the overview (mentioning five countries instead of four) limit the score. To improve, ensure all data points are accurately transcribed and the overview clearly synthesizes the most significant trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes misused, such as 'wherase' and 'ate one point'. The second paragraph is particularly difficult to follow due to awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. While there is a basic attempt at logical progression, the lack of clear signposting and the repetitive nature of the sentence structures hinder the overall coherence. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would significantly enhance the clarity of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and contains several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'emmission', 'cabon', 'throught', 'dramaticaly', and 'incread'. The student relies on basic verbs like 'rose' and 'increased' and struggles with collocations. There is an attempt to use some descriptive language, but the inaccuracies in spelling and word formation are frequent enough to occasionally impede the reader's understanding. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on accurate spelling and expanding their range of vocabulary to include more precise terms for describing trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'plateaued'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical errors are frequent. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The graph illustrate', 'Italy and Portugal joined'), incorrect verb forms, and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing and commas. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for basic grammatical slips would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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