Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-02
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 presents the data regarding the average emission of carbondioxide, per person, in countries like United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.
Overall, the data shows that the carbondioxide emission rate in UK and Sweden have been declining in the past three decades. On the contrary, the carbondioxide emission rate per person has been increasing since 1967 to 2007.
From 1967 to 2007, there has been a gradual and steady decline in the rate of carbondioxide emission per person in the United kindgom. Whereas, Sweden witnessed a sharp incline in the emission rate from 1967 to 1977. However, in the last three decades, Sweden's the carbondioxide emission rates declined sharply. Furthermore, Italy's carbondioxide emission rates increased over the years, now being steady in the last decade. Portugal's situation is similar to Italy, although the emission rate is lower.
Comparatively, average carbon dioxide emissions per person in the United Kingdom and Sweden have decrease in the last three decades. On the other hand, the emission rates of Italy and Portuagal show no sign of decline.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main features of the graph, outlining overall trends for the four countries, but it contains some inaccuracies and generalisations in reporting the data. For instance, the statement that the UK emission rate has declined since 1967 is accurate, but the summary paragraphs contain repetitive points, such as repeating the details about the UK and Sweden in both the overview and the final concluding paragraph. Furthermore, Italy's emissions did not remain steady in the last decade, but rather stayed level between 1997 and 2007 at 7.6 metric tonnes. The selection of data is somewhat limited, and certain trends are only partially developed, meaning the response sits comfortably within the mid-range for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text demonstrates a basic organizational structure with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, overview, body details, and a concluding summary. However, there is a lack of smooth overall progression. The use of cohesive devices is at times repetitive or mechanical, and the final paragraph largely restates information already covered in the body paragraphs without adding new insight. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the dangling phrase 'Sweden's the carbondioxide emission rates', which disrupts the logical flow of ideas between sentences. While the text is generally readable, the overall arrangement lacks the sophisticated progression required for higher bands.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts to use less common items such as 'gradual and steady decline', 'sharp incline', and 'emission rate'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'carbondioxide' written as a single word without a space, 'United kindgom' with a lowercase letter, and 'Portuagal' containing a typo. Additionally, some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'now being steady in the last decade'. These errors do not completely impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score, as the control over word forms and spelling lacks precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like 'While, Sweden witnessed a sharp incline...' and 'Portugal's situation is similar to Italy, although the emission rate is lower.' However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with subject-verb agreement and preposition use, such as 'the carbondioxide emission rate in UK and Sweden have been declining' (should be 'has been') and 'increasing since 1967 to 2007' (should be 'from 1967 to 2007'). There is also a missing article before 'United Kingdom'. These recurring errors and the limited control over complex grammatical patterns place the response at this level.
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