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 that the approximate carbon dioxide discharge by every individual across four countries from 1967 to 2007.
Overall, the United Kingdom, represented as a massive emission of carbon dioxide in the beginning, whilst Portugal accounted for least flow of carbon dioxide.
Initially, the United Kingdom and its carbon dioxide emission fell steadily from 11 metric tonnes to 9 metric tonnes between 1967 and 2007. In the year of 1967, the United Kingdom was at its peak level. Moreover, Sweden, the flow of carbon dioxide rose dramatically between 1967 and 1977 from 9 to 11 metric tonnes. Furthermore, it decreased heavily from 11 to 5 metric tonnes between 1977 and 2007.
On the same page, Italy, the discharge of carbon dioxide took a nose leap between 1967 and 1977 from 4 to 6.1 metric tonnes. Similarly, it increased steadily from 6.1 to 7.9 metric tonnes. In Portugal, carbon dioxide emission jumped from 1 to 5 metric tonnes between 1967 and 1997. Last but not the least, it showed no changes stayed at 5 metric tonnes between 1997 and 2007.
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 all four countries and the time period, identifying key trends such as the UK's decline and Sweden's peak. However, the overview is slightly weak; it focuses on the starting point rather than the most significant overall trends. While the main features are reported, the description of Italy's data is slightly inaccurate in its phrasing, and the comparison between countries could be more integrated. To improve, ensure the overview highlights the most striking differences, such as the fact that all countries except the UK saw an increase in emissions over the period, despite varying fluctuations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'On the same page', which is not an appropriate idiomatic expression for a report. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used in the correct context would help elevate the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of unnatural word choice. Phrases like 'carbon dioxide discharge', 'massive emission', and 'took a nose leap' are either imprecise or non-standard in this context. While the student successfully uses terms like 'metric tonnes' and 'peak level', the range is somewhat limited. To achieve a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations related to data trends, such as 'emissions plummeted' or 'experienced a significant rise' instead of 'decreased heavily' or 'jumped'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as the opening sentence which lacks a main verb ('The line graph illustrates that the approximate carbon dioxide discharge...'), and issues with preposition usage and article placement. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Increasing the accuracy of basic sentence construction and ensuring subject-verb agreement will be essential for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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