Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04

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)

This graph depicts the average carbon dioxide emission per person in four different European countries from the year 1967 to 2007. This is the period of 40 years. Overall,UK showed the massive discharge of CO2 following that Sweden also shows emission with fluctuations.However Italy and Portugal shows almost the same amount of output throughout the whole period.

In 1967,the discharge of carbon dioxide in UK rose up to around 11 percent fluctuating in years by a decline to almost 9 percent in 2007.Following that Sweden also presents the increase in percentage to around 11 by the year 1987 and then fall to 7 tonne continue fluctuating and shows a sudden fall in carbon dioxide output to almost 5 tonne in 2007.

On the other hand,Italy started emitting CO 2 from 4 tonne and grew up to to almost 7.8 tonne by the year 2007.In the same way in year 1967 Portugal continuing increasing up-to 5 tonne till the end of year 2007 without showing any fall between the whole period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for all four countries. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you mention '11 percent' and '9 percent' for the UK, whereas the graph measures CO2 in tonnes per person. Confusing units of measurement is a serious error that impacts the accuracy of the summary. While you attempt to compare the countries, the lack of precision in data interpretation prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully read the axis labels and use the correct units throughout your report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a summary. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions are awkward, such as 'Following that Sweden also presents the increase'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used naturally 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 'fluctuations', 'discharge', and 'output'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'massive discharge' (which is not ideal for CO2 emissions) and 'continuing increasing'. Additionally, there are some spelling and punctuation issues, such as missing spaces after commas. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure your spelling and punctuation are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Italy and Portugal shows') and incorrect preposition usage ('in year 1967'). Some sentences are also awkwardly phrased, such as 'the discharge of carbon dioxide in UK rose up to around 11 percent fluctuating in years'. These errors are noticeable but do not completely impede communication. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures and proofreading for basic grammatical slips will improve your score.

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