Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-23

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 amount of carbon dioxide, in metric tons, emit per individuals in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the emissions of carbon dioxide in Italy and Portugal showed an upward trend throughout the period, whereas United Kingdom decreased and Sweden increased initially before declining by the end of the period.

Although the carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom declined, it recorded the highest position over the period. It stood at 13 metric tons in 1947 and decreased steady to around 8 metric tons by 2007. There was surged in the emissions in Sweden initially, from approximately 9 metric tons in 1967 to just over 10 in 1977; However, it plunged to about 6 and fell modestly to just under 6 metric tons.

By 1977, Italy carbon emissions per person started around 4 metric tons, which slightly increased to nearly 8 metric tons until 1997 and plateaued for the following years. Similarly, Sweden accounted for the lowest carbon emission in 1967, which was approximately 1 metric tons per person, it increased drastically to slightly under 5 and remained relatively stable until 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features and trends of the graph. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with data from the four countries. However, there are some factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, you mention the UK started at 13 metric tons in 1947, but the graph begins in 1967. Additionally, you confuse the countries in the final paragraph, attributing Sweden's data to Italy and vice versa. While the overall task is addressed, these inaccuracies in data reporting prevent a higher score. Ensure you carefully cross-reference the labels and years with the data points provided in the visual prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall,' 'Although,' and 'Similarly,' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by the factual errors mentioned in the task achievement section, which makes the comparison confusing. Furthermore, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when you switch between countries in the final paragraph. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring accurate referencing will help improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trend,' 'plateaued,' 'plunged,' and 'modestly.' This allows you to describe the trends effectively. There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'emit per individuals' instead of 'emitted per person' and 'There was surged' instead of 'There was a surge.' While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precision in your lexical choices. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring grammatical accuracy in your word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'Italy carbon emissions' (should be 'Italy's carbon emissions'), 'decreased steady' (should be 'decreased steadily'), and '1 metric tons' (should be '1 metric ton'). These errors are noticeable and occur frequently, although they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your intended meaning. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of adverbs versus adjectives, and pluralization rules.

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

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