Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-03

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 illustrates the average carbon dioxide emission per person in the United kingdom, Sweden, Italy, and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

First and foremost, average carbon dioxide in the United Kingdom started at 11 in 1967 which gradually went down as years passsed and reached to 9 in 2007. Moving forward, the graph line of the Sweden goes up and down throughout the timeline where it reaches its high point in 1977 at 11 and fell down till 2007. Furthermore, in Italy, the rates were constantly going upwards from starting mark and reached 7.5 in 2007. Lastly, average carbon dioxide emission was lowest in the Portugal but it increased till 2007 and reached the same level as the Sweden.

Overall, the higest carbon dioxide emission was in the United Kingdom whereas the lowest position is shared between two countries which are Sweden and Portugal. The Italy was at mid level of emission.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response sits at this level because it addresses the task only partially and falls short of the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, finishing at 139 words (excluding copied prompt text). While the writer attempts to summarise the main features and trends for all four countries, the overview and details are limited and under-developed. For example, the overview incorrectly states that the lowest position in 2007 is shared between Sweden and Portugal, whereas the data shows Sweden at 5.4 and Portugal at 5.4, but Sweden actually experienced a significant rise and fall rather than staying level with Portugal throughout. Furthermore, some data points are generalised or slightly inaccurate, such as stating Italy reached 7.5 in 2007 when the starting point and trajectory could have been reported with more precision and supported by comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with basic paragraphing, separating the introduction, body details, and a concluding overview. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. The writer relies heavily on transitional phrases like 'First and foremost', 'Moving forward', and 'Furthermore' to link sentences, which feels slightly repetitive and formulaic. Referencing and progression are sometimes unclear; for instance, the transition between the UK and Sweden lacks a smooth logical bridge, and the concluding paragraph places the overview at the end rather than following the introduction, which detracts from the overall structural flow expected at higher bands.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The lexical range is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common vocabulary and appropriate reporting verbs and nouns, such as 'emissions', 'gradually went down', and 'timeline'. However, there are noticeable vocabulary and collocation errors that reflect a Band 5 level, such as 'graph line of the Sweden goes up and down' (awkward phrasing) and spelling mistakes like 'higest'. Word choices like 'lowest position is shared' are also imprecise given the actual chart data. To reach the next band, the student needs to use a wider, more flexible range of vocabulary with accurate spelling and natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex sentences often contain errors. There are frequent grammatical errors involving articles, prepositions, and verb tenses, such as 'emission per person in the United kingdom' (missing capitalisation and pluralisation issues), 'as years passsed and reached to 9' (spelling error 'passsed', unnecessary preposition 'to' with 'reached'), and 'in the Portugal' (unnecessary article). While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to characterize a limited control of grammar and punctuation, keeping the response firmly at this band level.

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

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