Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-27
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 display the data for the carbon dioxide emission by every single person belonging to four different countries including, United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from the year 1967 and 2007.
The figures illustrate that United Kingdom is the only country in which the CO2 emission constantly declined through the year 1927 to 2007, although this is the only country with highest CO2 emission. Whereas, the trend goes up for Italy and Portugal with time. However, for Sweden the line sharply gows up then declined with the same pace, leading to further reduction till 2007.
The starting point for the CO2 emission for Italy and Portugal were approximatly 4 and 1 metric tonnes. This trends constantly gows up for Italy till 1977 and for Purtugal till 1987. Then Italy maintained the figure of almost 7 till 1987 then both show the same trend of gradual growth till 2007.
Apart from that, United kingdom display a very smooth decline in trend, starting with the maximum figure of 11 metric tonnes in 1967 and ending at the 9 metric tonnes in 2007. While Sweden shows quite different trend. Initially, the figure was 9 metric tonnes in 1967 then the line sharply increased till 1977 and then sharply gows down untill 1987. After 1987, the line gradualy reduced and ends at 5 metric tonnes till 2007.
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
The student covers all four countries and provides an overview of the main trends, successfully fulfilling the prompt requirements. Key features are reported, such as the UK having the highest emissions with a steady decline, and Portugal and Italy experiencing upward trends. However, there are some minor factual inaccuracies regarding the data, such as stating the UK declined from '1927 to 2007' and misreading initial start points slightly. Despite these small errors, the response successfully highlights key comparisons and trends across the 40-year period, satisfying the main demands of Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into four paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and supporting body paragraphs detailing specific country data. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'whereas', 'however', and 'apart from that'. However, paragraphing and logical progression could be smoother, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression is occasionally disrupted by minor tracking errors in data interpretation.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items related to trends such as 'constantly declined', 'sharply gows up', and 'gradual growth'. There are, however, noticeable spelling and word choice errors, including 'display' instead of 'displays', 'approximatly', and repeated misspellings of 'gows' instead of 'grows' and 'Purtugal'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect a Band 6 level of lexical accuracy and control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and contrasting structures. Grammatical accuracy is inconsistent; there are several errors with verb forms, tense consistency, and prepositions, such as 'the line graph display', 'from the year 1967 and 2007', and 'the starting point... were'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical errors are frequent enough to occasionally cause slight difficulty, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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