Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22

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 graph illustrates the average carbon dioxide emission per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

The United Kingdom produced just over 10 metric tonnes per person in 1967 and this figure declined gradually over the following four decades to approximately 9 tonnes in 2007. Sweden followed a different pattern. Its emission around 9 tonnes in 1967 to a peak of just over 10 tonnes in 1977 for dropping sharply to approximately 5.5 tonnes by the end of the period.

Italy showed a continue upward trend, rising from roughly at 4 tonnes in 1967 to nearly 8 tonnes in 1977,after which emissions remained relatively stable until 2007. Portugal recorded the lowest emission beginning of the period at around at 1 tonnes. This figure steadily to approximately 5.5 tonnes by 2007. Almost matching Sweden. Overall, The United Kingdom recorded the highest per CO2 emission throughout the period and then declined.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all the main features of the graph, including the trends for all four countries. You successfully identified the starting and ending points and noted the key fluctuations, such as Sweden's peak and Italy's stabilization. However, the overview is somewhat weak; while you mention the UK's high emissions, it is placed at the very end of the text rather than in a dedicated paragraph following the introduction. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most significant trends—such as the divergence between the UK/Sweden and Italy/Portugal—more clearly at the beginning of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized, with each country's trend discussed in a separate section. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally absent. For instance, the transition between the description of Portugal and the final overview is abrupt. Some sentences are fragmented, such as 'This figure steadily to approximately 5.5 tonnes by 2007', which lacks a verb and disrupts the flow. Improving the use of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', 'Consequently') would help guide the reader more smoothly through the comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'declined gradually', 'upward trend', and 'remained relatively stable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'per CO2 emission' instead of 'CO2 emissions per person' and 'beginning of the period at around at 1 tonnes'. The repetition of 'tonnes' and 'approximately' could be improved by using synonyms or varying the sentence structure to avoid redundancy. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are several grammatical errors that hinder clarity. For example, 'Its emission around 9 tonnes in 1967 to a peak...' is missing a verb, and 'This figure steadily to approximately 5.5 tonnes' is also missing a verb. Additionally, there are issues with prepositions and articles, such as 'rising from roughly at 4 tonnes' and 'at around at 1 tonnes'. While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors in basic sentence construction prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

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