Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-01
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 shows avarage carbon dioxide emissions per person in United kingdom, Sweden, Italy and portugal between 1967 and 2007 in metric tonnes.
Overall, in 2007 United kingdom emit high carbon dioxide and portugal emits less carbon dioxide in metric tonnes.
At a fleeting glance, emission of carbon dioxide go down of UK from 1967 to 2007 .whereas the emission of carbon dioxide of portugal increase in metric tonnes.
moving ahead ,the emission of carbon dioxide of sweden firstly incline from 1967 to 1977 and than rapidly decline from 1977 to 1987 and than starts gradually decreses from 1987 to 2007. whereas, in italy emmision of carbon dioxide considrably grow from 1967 to 1997 and becomes stable in 1997 from 4 metric tonnes to 8 metric tonnes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response attempts to address the prompt by summarising the main features of the graph comparing CO2 emissions across four countries. However, the length requirement is not met, as the text falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, leaving the summary underdeveloped. While the overview attempts to highlight general extremes in 2007, it contains inaccuracies, stating that the UK emitted high carbon dioxide while Portugal emitted less, rather than tracing the overall trends accurately. Key data points are occasionally misreported, such as the claim that Italy's emissions became stable in 1997 from 4 to 8 metric tonnes, which misrepresents the trajectory shown in the visual data. To reach a higher band, the response must meet the minimum word count, present a fully accurate overview, and support all reported trends with correct data from the graph.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text demonstrates some organisation through basic sequencing phrases such as 'Overall', 'At a fleeting glance', and 'moving ahead', but there is a lack of a clear overall progression. The essay is presented in a single dense block of text with inappropriate micro-paragraphing or fractured sentence grouping, which disrupts the logical flow. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes awkward in style, such as 'than' used instead of 'then'. Referencing and linking between clauses are mechanical, making the transition between ideas abrupt. To improve, the writer should structure the response into logical paragraphs—an introduction with an overview, followed by well-organised body paragraphs—and use a wider, more natural variety of cohesive links to guide the reader smoothly through the data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout. Misspellings such as 'avarage', 'decreses', 'emmision', and 'considrably' distract from the content. There are also capitalization errors with proper nouns like 'United kingdom' and 'portugal'. The range of vocabulary is restricted, relying on repetitive verbs like 'emit', 'increase', and 'decline' with little variation or use of less common lexical items. Vocabulary choices lack precision, occasionally resulting in awkward phrasing. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical range to include precise synonyms and vocabulary related to data trends, while strictly eliminating basic spelling and capitalization errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic subject-verb-object patterns. Attempts at complex or compound structures often result in faulty grammar and awkward phrasing, such as 'starts gradually decreses' or 'becomes stable in 1997 from 4 metric tonnes to 8 metric tonnes'. Frequent errors in verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and missing articles ('in Italy emmision', 'in United kingdom') are present throughout the text. These errors frequently cause difficulty for the reader and obscure the precise meaning of the data. To move up a band, the writer must incorporate a wider mix of error-free complex sentences and ensure accurate control over verb forms and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.