Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-16

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 illustrates average carbon dioxide emissions per human in the 4 separated contries such as United Kingdom,Sweden,Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall,The highest number of carbon dioxide emissions per person in UK in 1967 to 1977.In Portugal,there were lowest than other contries between 1967 to 1977.Sweden had almost similar noted to Uk.Italy was rose than Portugal but lowest than Sweden.

The United Kingdom had declined with range of 11 to 9 in 1967 to 2007.in 1967 and 1977 ,Both Sweden and Italy increased from 9 to 10 and 4 to 6 approximately respectively.however,Sweden went down in 1987 to 2007 by 7 to 5 metric tonnes approximately.

Whereas,Italy went up drametically from 6 to 8 metric tonnes in 1977 to 2007.Portugal had increased 1 to 5 mertic tonnes continueasaly from 1967 to 2007.it can clearly seen that Italy and Portugal both were only upward trend.where ,UK followed downward trend and Sweden recorded by fluctuated trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a summary of the main features, but the analysis is inconsistent and contains inaccuracies. For example, stating the UK had the highest emissions from 1967 to 1977 is correct, but the description of the trends for Sweden and Italy is confusing and lacks precision. The report identifies the general upward or downward trends, but the data points cited are often imprecise or misaligned with the graph. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that the data selected is accurate and that the comparisons between countries are clearly articulated rather than just listing figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is often disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Whereas' and 'however', their usage is sometimes awkward or grammatically incorrect, such as 'where ,UK followed downward trend'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of the comparison. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You rely on basic verbs like 'increased', 'went down', and 'went up'. There are also several spelling errors (e.g., 'contries', 'drametically', 'mertic', 'continueasaly') and word choice issues, such as 'per human' instead of 'per person'. To improve, you should incorporate a wider variety of synonyms for change, such as 'fluctuated', 'declined', 'surged', or 'remained stable', and pay closer attention to spelling and standard collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with article usage ('the UK', 'the highest'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. For example, 'Italy was rose than Portugal' is grammatically incorrect. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as missing prepositions or incorrect word order. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and verb forms will help improve your score.

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

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