Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-21

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 the average carbon dioxide (CO2) release per person in United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, It is evident that United Kingdom and Sweden emissions per person carbon dioxide (CO2) are decrease. Whereas other categories Italy or Portugal are increase.

To begin, In 1967 United Kingdom emission per person carbon dioxide (CO2) 11. It was decreased gradually approximately 9 in the year 2007.

Sweden released carbon dioxide (CO2) per person in year 1967 9 and rose sharply 10 then it was declined 7 in the year 1987 or it dropped slowly in the year 2007.

In sharp contrast, In 1967, Italy released carbon dioxide (CO2) per person 4 it was increased in the year 1977 and it was leveled off in 1987 or it rose gradually and it was leveled off in 2007.In addition Portugal emission per person far under 4 in the year 1987 and it was increased sharply 5 in the year 1997 and it leveled off in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the line graph, providing an overview and mentioning data points for the four countries. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic ('United Kingdom and Sweden emissions per person carbon dioxide (CO2) are decrease') and contains awkward phrasing. Furthermore, several specific data points are imprecise or awkwardly expressed, such as stating Italy 'released carbon dioxide (CO2) per person 4' in 1967 and Portugal being 'far under 4 in the year 1987'. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of precision and under-development of comparisons place this response at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into distinct paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body details. However, the progression within paragraphs is often disjointed due to poor cohesive devices and punctuation errors (e.g., run-on clauses linked with 'or'). Sentences like 'Sweden released carbon dioxide (CO2) per person in year 1967 9 and rose sharply 10 then it was declined 7' demonstrate mechanical cohesion and a lack of smooth transitions. Paragraphing is attempted, but overall logical flow is disrupted by structural clumsiness, leading to a Band 5.5 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is quite repetitive and basic, relying heavily on terms like 'release', 'carbon dioxide', 'per person', and 'increase' or 'decrease'. There are frequent awkward word choices and unnatural collocations, such as 'carbon dioxide (CO2) release per person' and 'Portugal emission per person far under 4'. Attempts at less common vocabulary or varied reporting verbs are largely unsuccessful. Spelling is generally accurate, but the limited range and lack of precision restrict the score to Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple or faulty complex sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing prepositions, incorrect verb tenses, and missing auxiliary verbs (e.g., 'United Kingdom and Sweden emissions per person carbon dioxide (CO2) are decrease', 'it was declined 7', 'it leveled off in 2007'). These errors frequently disrupt the flow and cause difficulty for the reader, aligning the grammar performance with Band 5.0.

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

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