Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-04
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 displays average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007. Overall, UK and Sweden has a declined trend. Whereas, Italy and Portugal has a rose throughout these years.
Emissions has been measured from 1967. Portugal stands below 2 tons of CO2 emission. Italy has a rose above 4 tons CO2 emission. Sweden has started from above 8 tons of CO2. UK ranked on top of the graph stands above 10 tons of CO2 emission. In 1977, a slightly changed in a graph trend which shows a declined figures reflect in two of the countries i.e. United Kingdom and Sweden. A risen trend showcased two countries i.e. Italy and Portugal.
It has been noticed that UK has a constant downward trend from 10 to 8.5 tons of CO2 emission by 2007. Similarly, after a peak trend, Sweden has decreased till 5 tons of CO2 by 2007. A risen shift in two countries graph: Italy has an upward trend shifted from 4.2 to constant 7.8 tons of CO2 emission after 1997. However, Portugal has a drastic rose from 1987 and a constant line graph of 5 tons of CO2 emission after 1997.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the line graph, and it makes relevant comparisons between the four countries. An overview is present at the beginning, noting the downward trends for the UK and Sweden and the upward trends for Italy and Portugal. Key data points, such as the starting values and final figures in 2007, are accurately reported, meeting the expectations for the lower band while showing enough breadth of coverage to achieve part of the next level. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or lack finer detail regarding intermediate fluctuations, meaning the response remains at a solid intermediate level rather than fully developing every single trend point.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a logical grouping of countries by their emission trends. Paragraphing is attempted to separate the overview from the body details. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the abrupt transitions between sentences in the second body paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, but they can be repetitive or slightly awkward, which disrupts the natural flow and progression of the writing. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to ensure smoother links between sentences and a more cohesive structure across the entire text.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to graphical data such as 'trend', 'peak', 'constant', and 'downward'. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is accompanied by lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'a rose' instead of 'an increase' or 'a rise', and 'a drastic rose'. Spelling is generally acceptable, and minor word-choice errors do not impede communication. To improve this score, the student should focus on accurate word formation and natural collocations, such as using nouns and verbs correctly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in basic grammatical structures, such as subject-verb agreement ('UK and Sweden has', 'emissions has been measured'), incorrect article usage, and awkward prepositional phrasing. These errors reflect a limited control of complex structures, where attempts often result in faulty grammar that can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the writer must reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips and demonstrate greater accuracy when forming complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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