Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-31
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 represents a result of an analytical survey conducted related to the emission of carbon dioxide per citizen in four different countries from the year 1967 to 2007. The units are in metric tonnes.
Overall, The United Kingdom has always been at the top since the beginning. Sweden peaked in the first decade and later dropped drastically. Portugal and Italy have similar trends in the 40 year period/
The United Kingdoms is marked to be the highest with 11 metric tonnes of carbon in the starting. Gradually after 1977 it began it decrease dramatically. However, it still remained as the country emitting the maximum carbon dioxide gas. In first 10 years emission in Sweden rose to about 10 tonnes. Later came across significant downfall.
Portugal and Italy have increased emission in a dramatical manner. In Italy starting from 4 tonnes it ended up being the second highest emitter in 2007. With 100 percent increase it reached around 8 metric tonnes. Portugal has the lowest emission among all four countries with only 1 metric tonnes. Further, it rocketed to 5 metric tonnes 1997.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided relevant comparisons between the four countries. You highlighted the UK's leading position, Sweden's peak and decline, and the upward trajectories of Italy and Portugal. However, the report lacks precision in some data points. For instance, stating the UK was at '11 metric tonnes' is a good start, but the description of the trends could be more nuanced. You covered all parts of the task, but some data reporting is slightly vague, and the overall summary could be more integrated to better highlight the key differences between the countries over the 40-year period.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However' and 'Further', to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by mechanical phrasing, such as the slash in '40 year period/' and the abrupt transition between sentences in the final paragraph. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to show the relationship between the data points more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'analytical survey', 'drastically', and 'significant downfall'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'The United Kingdoms is marked to be the highest' is slightly unnatural, and 'dramatical manner' should be 'dramatic manner'. Additionally, 'rocketed to 5 metric tonnes' is a good use of descriptive language, but overall, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, and more precise academic collocations would elevate the response to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'represents a result of an analytical survey conducted related to' (wordy/awkward), 'In first 10 years emission in Sweden rose' (missing articles), and 'only 1 metric tonnes' (subject-verb agreement error). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.