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)
This graph illustrates emissions that each person produced in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and portugal from late 1960s to 2000s.
Overall, United Kingdom ranked the highest among these european countries in the past but a continuous improvement was seen in the future. Portugal ranked the lowest but surprisingly, its figure increased constantly until 2007.
The least emissions were recorded in Portugal in 1967 with a figure of approx. one metric ton which surprisingly increased to approx. 5.5 metric ton in 2007. The United Kingdom was among those european countries which has seen improvement in the coming years. The figure of carbon dioxide emitted per person in metric tonnes was approximately 11, decreased about two metric tonnes to approx. 9 metric tonnes till 2007.
Furthermore, in the Italy, the CO2 emissions per person raised from about 4 metric ton to somewhere close to 8 ton upto 2007. Although, Sweden was also among those european countries in which improvement was seen from 1977 to 2007 except for the years [redacted phone], when the figure raised from 8.5 metric ton (approx.) to 11 metric ton (approx.).
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
The student covers all four countries and provides a general overview, fulfilling the basic requirements of Academic Task 1. However, the data reporting contains several inaccuracies and misinterpretations. For instance, the student states that the UK saw a 'continuous improvement... in the future', using 'improvement' confusingly to mean a decrease in emissions, and refers to Sweden's emissions rising to 11 metric tonnes in 1977, whereas the chart shows around 10.3. Furthermore, the overview is somewhat contradictory, as a reduction in CO2 emissions is framed as an 'improvement' without clear contextualization. While key trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting the data places this response at Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific countries. Cohesive devices are attempted, such as 'Furthermore', 'Although', and 'Overall', but their use is sometimes mechanical or imprecise (e.g., 'Although, Sweden was also among those...'). Paragraphing logic is present, separating the UK/Portugal details from Italy/Sweden, but the overall progression is slightly disjointed due to awkward phrasing and transitions. Repetition of structures like 'approx. ... metric ton' also impacts the flow. This performance aligns with Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the graph, including terms like 'emissions', 'metric tonnes', and 'constant'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as using 'improvement' to describe falling carbon emissions, and 'raised' instead of 'rose'. Spelling is generally acceptable, though 'portugal' is uncapitalised in the first paragraph. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and word forms are occasionally confused (e.g., 'least emissions' instead of 'the lowest emissions'). This sits comfortably within the Band 5.5 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('countries which has seen improvement') and subordinate clauses ('Although, Sweden was also among those...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('United Kingdom ranked... has seen'), incorrect preposition usage ('in the Italy'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is generally basic but manageable. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause minor confusion, the response achieves a Band 5.5 for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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