Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-11
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)
This graph highlighting the estimated carbon dioxide emission for individuals in the United Kingdom and other Europe countries between 1967 and 2007.
Overall, United Kingdom had a higher value through out the provided period than any other records. On the other hand, graph showed least CO2 emission for Portugal.
Line graph represented decline in emission for UK and Sweden. Where as, Rising numbers were recorded for the Italy and Portugal. Firstly, UK had around 11 percent emitted gas in 1967 and till the 1977, afterward it tend to decrease and reached near to 9 in 2007. For Sweden, The values rose in the year 1977 from 8 to approximately 10 and then a noticeable decline in the year of 1987, and confined in the downward way and became less than 6 in 2007.
Further more, there was rising lines for Italy and Portugal, In Italy Carbon emission was only almost 4 in 1967 and reached 8 at the end of period 2007. However, Similar to Italy, Portugal reached from 1 to 6 between 1967 to 2007.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response provides a clear overview of the main trends, identifying the decline in the UK and Sweden and the growth in Italy and Portugal. Key features are selected, such as the starting and ending points for each country. However, the report lacks precision in data reporting. For instance, stating the UK had 'around 11 percent' is inaccurate as the unit is CO2 emissions per person, not a percentage. Additionally, the description of the trends is somewhat repetitive, and the analysis of the data points could be more integrated to better highlight the comparisons between the four nations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the trends. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'Firstly', and 'Further more', though some are used mechanically or with incorrect punctuation (e.g., 'Further more, there was rising lines'). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally awkward, such as 'confined in the downward way', which obscures the intended meaning. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the overview and the specific data points could be smoother.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a reliance on basic verbs like 'had', 'showed', and 'reached'. Some word choices are unnatural or incorrect in context, such as 'emitted gas' instead of 'emissions' and 'rising lines' to describe data trends. The student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but the lack of control over collocations limits the score. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include missing articles ('the Italy', 'the UK'), incorrect verb tenses ('graph highlighting' instead of 'highlights'), and awkward phrasing ('afterward it tend to decrease'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and sentence boundaries. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of minor errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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