Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-14

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 illustrates how much on average a per person between year 1967 to 2007 discharge a carbon dioxide in a countries such as the United kingdom, Sweden , Italy and Portugal . Unit used for measurement is a metric tonnes.

Overall, there was a different rate of emission in these four countries. Trends in Portugal and Italy demonstrate a rose in emission, In contrast the Uk and Sweden experienced a significant decline in carbondioxide release.

In Portugal emission started from 1% in 1967 and rose to 5% in 2007. While Italy experienced a gradual surged from 4% to approxamietly 7.5% in 1997 which remained stable till 2007.

On the other hand it was observed a significant decline in the carbon dioxide enjection in the Uk and sweden. The figure depicits a sudden surged from 9% to 11% in sweden which substantially reduce to 5% in 2007.Uk also experienced a drop from 11% to 9% in these particular years.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making appropriate comparisons between the four countries over the given time period. The introduction correctly identifies the subject and unit of measurement, though with awkward phrasing ("how much on average a per person... discharge a carbon dioxide"). The overview correctly contrasts the upward trends in Portugal and Italy with the downward trends in the UK and Sweden. Data points are selected and reported, though some figures contain noticeable inaccuracies when compared to the source graph (e.g., stating emissions started at 1% or reached 11%). Despite these factual inaccuracies regarding the exact data, the response effectively outlines the general trends and meets the core requirements of Task 1. Band score: 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into four distinct paragraphs, following a logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific country trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'While', and 'On the other hand' are used to connect ideas, though some referencing and transitional links feel mechanical or awkward, such as 'On the other hand it was observed a significant decline'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the report. While the progression is generally clear, occasional awkward phrasing slightly disrupts the flow of information. Band score: 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but contains noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, as well as spelling mistakes ('approximietly', 'depicits', 'surged' used as a noun where 'surge' is needed, 'enjection' instead of 'emissions'). The writer attempts less common vocabulary such as 'substantial decline', 'gradual surged', and 'metric tonnes', but control is inconsistent. Some terms are used incorrectly, such as percentages (%) instead of metric tonnes for CO2 emissions. These lexical inaccuracies do not completely impede communication, but they restrict the score to the lower-intermediate band. Band score: 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph illustrates how much...' and 'Trends in Portugal and Italy demonstrate a rose in emission'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues, incorrect prepositions, and awkward word order (e.g., 'a per person between year 1967 to 2007 discharge a carbon dioxide in a countries'). Punctuation is also faulty in places, such as unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors do not entirely prevent comprehension, they cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and reflect limited control over complex structures. Band score: 5.0.

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