Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-21
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 an average carbon dioxide emissions per person in the various nations with a time period of 1967 to 2007.
Overall, United kingdom and Sweden has record low progress. Italy and Portugal has high emissions by exponential growth from the span of 1967 to 2007.
Firstly, both United Kingdom and Sweden are started their initial stage from 8 and 11 percentile each in the year of 1967 and there is a sudden rise has recorded with Sweden and a gradual decrease in the United kingdom to the year of 1977. From 1987 to 2007 both nations are in the significant low each by 9 and 5 percentage.
Secondly, Italy and Portugal accelerated from the initial point of year 1967. Italy has seen a peak about to 6.2 percentage in 1977 till 2007 there is fluctuated growth and stability was showed. Portugal seems there is a noticed growth from 1977 to 2007.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response identifies the main features of the graph, such as the trends for the four countries. However, the data interpretation is inaccurate. For example, the student mentions '8 and 11 percentile' for the UK and Sweden in 1967, which does not align with the provided graph figures (which are in metric tonnes). Furthermore, the description of Italy and Portugal as having 'exponential growth' is an overstatement, as the trends are more moderate. The summary is present but lacks precision in reporting the data, which is a key requirement for Task 1. To improve, focus on accurately reading the axes and using the correct units of measurement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into four paragraphs, which is a good structure for a report. The use of linking words like 'Overall', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly' helps to guide the reader through the information. However, the logical progression within the paragraphs is sometimes hindered by unclear phrasing, such as 'there is a sudden rise has recorded with Sweden'. The referencing is occasionally confusing, making it difficult to follow the comparison between the nations. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that cohesive devices are used to connect ideas more naturally would raise the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and sometimes inaccurate. The student uses 'percentile' instead of 'metric tonnes' or 'units', and 'record low progress' is an unnatural collocation in this context. Phrases like 'initial stage' and 'noticed growth' are somewhat vague. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'peaked', and 'declined gradually'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('United kingdom and Sweden has', 'Italy and Portugal has') and tense usage ('are started', 'was showed'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'there is a sudden rise has recorded'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the overall control of grammar is inconsistent. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that passive voice is used correctly when describing data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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