Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

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 illustrates the average carbon dioxide outflow per capita in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that the Uk and Sweden started with significant emission while the Portugal had lowest point, that can changed by time.

In 1967, Uk had highest emission approximately 11 matric tonnes which stayed constant in 1977. And declined gradually to roughly 9 matric tonnes by 2007. Likewise, the release of carbon dioxide in Sweden neared to 9 matric tonnes in 1967 which increased dramatically to 10 matric tonnes by 1977. Whereas, they saw rapidly decline to 7 matric tonnes in 1987. Then the emission had decreased gradually to 5.5 matric tonnes in 2007.

Comparetively, the outflow of gas in Italy were on 4.2 matric tonnes in 1987 which significantly rose to 6.5 matric tonnes in 1977. Although slighlty increased to 7.7 matric tonnes in 1997 and then remained constant by 2007. Similarly, Portugal started the lowest (slightly over 1 tonne in 1967) but showed consistent growth, reaching 5.5 tonnes by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad pattern: UK emissions declined overall, Sweden rose before falling, and Italy and Portugal increased. Several figures are also close to the chart, including the UK’s starting level and Portugal’s final level. However, the overview is unclear (“that can changed by time”) and does not clearly summarise the key comparison that the UK remained highest in 2007 while Italy and Portugal finished at similar levels. There is also a significant data error: Italy’s 1967 figure is described as occurring in 1987, and the sequence of its 1977 and 1987 values is confusing. Develop a clearer overview and report the years and trends accurately to make the summary more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the countries, and time markers such as “In 1967” and “by 2007” help the reader follow the timeline. The paragraphing is generally appropriate. However, some connections are awkward or unclear: “Whereas, they saw rapidly decline” does not clearly identify the subject, and “Comparatively” introduces Italy without making the comparison explicit. The overview sentence also does not establish a clear direction for the report. Use more precise referencing and link the country trends through meaningful comparisons—for example, contrast the UK’s gradual fall with the sharper rise in Italy and Portugal. This would make progression clearer and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “emission,” “declined gradually,” “increased dramatically,” and “remained constant,” which helps describe changes over time. There is also an attempt to vary wording with “outflow” and “release.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task: “carbon dioxide outflow” and “outflow of gas” are not suitable descriptions of the chart, while “started with significant emission” is imprecise. Spelling errors such as “Comparatively” misspelled as “Comparetively” and “slighlty” also reduce accuracy. Aim for a smaller set of precise collocations—such as “CO₂ emissions per person,” “stood at,” and “rose to”—rather than substituting less appropriate synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “which,” “whereas,” and “although.” The main trends are usually understandable, but some sentence structures are faulty or incomplete. For example, “that can changed by time” has an incorrect verb form, and “Whereas, they saw rapidly decline” is not a well-formed clause. There are also agreement and article problems in “Italy were on 4.2” and “the Portugal had lowest point.” Punctuation after linking words is sometimes awkward, as in “Whereas,” and “Although” beginning a sentence without a complete main clause. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete clause structures while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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