Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-06
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 average carbon dioxide emitted per person in a certain period of time in four countries.
Overall, the rate of emission increase through out the period in Portugal and Italy. While in case of United Kingdom the rate of emission is falling over the period. Perhaps in the first decade the rate of emission shoot up , but after that it decline through out end of period.
In United kingdom the rate of emission going down minimally. In the first decade the rate of emission is slightly up to 11 metric tonnes. And reduce to a considerable amount of 9 tonnes in 2007. In Sweden the rate of carbon dioxide go up nearly 11 tonnes in first decade. After that it drop significantly to an huge amount. It converge with the Portugal and diverge with Italy.
The increasing rate of emission of carbon dioxide in Italy is same as in Portugal. In Italy the emission rate is almost 4 while at the end it is about 8 tonnes. Perhaps, in the beginning the rate of emission in Portugal is 4 and at last it reaches 7.5 tonnes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main trends for all four countries, which is the core requirement of the task. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with data from the graph. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting; for example, you state that the UK emission rate is 'falling over the period,' but the graph shows it fluctuates and then declines, and your description of Sweden's trend is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that your data points are precise and that your summary of trends accurately reflects the visual information provided. Overall, you have covered the key features well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your analysis. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall,' 'While,' and 'In the first decade,' to link your ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'It converge with the Portugal and diverge with Italy.' Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would help the text flow more naturally and improve the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, using terms like 'metric tonnes,' 'fluctuate,' and 'converge.' However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'shoot up' (which is informal) and 'an huge amount' (which is grammatically incorrect). Additionally, some phrasing is repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that your collocations are natural. For instance, instead of 'rate of emission is slightly up,' you could use 'emissions experienced a slight increase.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally hinder the reader. For example, there are issues with subject-verb agreement ('the rate of emission increase') and tense usage ('it decline'). Some sentences are also missing articles or have incorrect preposition usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent verb tenses and correct article usage will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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