Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14

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 indicates the typical number of carbon dioxide ejection per person in the 3 different nations between the years 1967 and 2007.

Overall, it can be observed that, the United kingdom had generated highest number of Carbon dioxide, on the other hand, Portugal was lowest.

To commence with, in the initial time Portugal had less than 2 percent CO2 release, but then it show the increasing trend till 2007, and in the it was reported around 5.7 percent. Italy was nearly 4% in 1967, afterwards it was rose drastically over 6 percent and registered approximately 7.9 percent in 2007.

In addition, Sweden was the only country who shows the decreasing data, at the time of began it was at second position, after that, it was rise to 11 percent, but then dropped furiously to less than 6 percent in 2007. The United Kingdom was at top in 1967 which was around 11.5, then after it was downed maybe at 9 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for all four countries. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the UK's trend is incomplete, as it mentions the starting point but fails to clearly state the final figure in 2007, merely noting it 'downed maybe at 9 percent'. Additionally, the use of 'percent' to describe CO2 emissions per person is factually incorrect based on the graph, which measures metric tonnes. The overview is present but lacks precision in summarizing the overall patterns effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence with', 'In addition', and 'on the other hand'. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel forced. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'at the time of began', which disrupts the logical progression of the narrative. Overall, the paragraphing is sufficient, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and contains several inaccuracies. The term 'ejection' is inappropriate for CO2 emissions, and 'downed' is not standard academic English for describing a downward trend. The student also uses 'furiously' to describe a decrease, which is an incorrect collocation. While the student attempts to use some descriptive verbs like 'rose drastically', the overall range is narrow, and the misuse of technical terms (e.g., 'percent' instead of 'metric tonnes') hinders the precision required for an Academic Task 1 response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the United kingdom had generated highest number', 'Sweden was the only country who shows', and 'at the time of began'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The control over complex structures is inconsistent.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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