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 given line graph illustrates the information about the approx carbon dioxide emissions per individual in the UK, Sweden, Italy and portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, United Kingdom ranked as a highest CO2 emissions per person in the beginning and started declining, while Portugal had a lowest carbon emission amount but it was increasing significantly. Data are measured in metric tonnes.

In 1967, around 11 metric tonnes of carbon had produced in the UK per individual, but this amount started falling. In 1987, it became 10 metric tonnes then reached to approximately 9 metric tonnes. In Sweden, nearly 9 metric tonnes of carbon produced by a person, then this amount went to its peak ( over 10 metric tonnes ). After that, this amount started declining, as it became around 7 metric tonnes in 1987 and nearly 6 metric tonnes in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad pattern that the UK began highest and declined, while Portugal began lowest and rose, and your UK and Sweden figures are generally consistent with the graph. However, the report is incomplete: it gives no account of Italy or Portugal’s later values, despite Portugal being mentioned in the overview, and it does not compare the countries at the end of the period. The overview also omits Italy’s steady rise and Sweden’s sharp reversal after its peak. The response is 143 words, below the required 150, and this contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, include the main trends for all four countries and a clear end-point comparison, supported by a few key figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of the UK and Sweden. Time markers such as “In 1967” and “In 1987” help readers follow the figures, and “After that” signals a change in Sweden’s trend. However, the progression stops after Sweden, leaving the report unfinished and the country comparisons unbalanced. The overview and body are not fully connected because Portugal is highlighted in the overview but never described in detail. Some references, such as “this amount,” are repeated and could be made more precise. Organise the body into clear comparisons—for example, declining countries versus rising countries—and cover each series consistently.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “per person,” “metric tonnes,” “peak,” “declining,” and “increasing significantly,” so the subject is generally clear. There is some repetition of “amount” and “carbon,” however, and several expressions are not natural or precise for describing a graph. “The approx carbon dioxide emissions” is awkward, while “carbon had produced” does not express emissions naturally. Country names should also be capitalised consistently, as in “Portugal.” Aim for a wider set of accurate trend terms, such as “fell gradually,” “rose steadily,” and “remained stable,” and use “emissions” rather than repeatedly referring to an “amount of carbon.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a contrast with “but” and a time clause beginning “After that,” and the main trends remain understandable. However, errors in verb forms and sentence construction recur. For example, “around 11 metric tonnes of carbon had produced” needs a passive form such as “were produced” or, more naturally, “emissions stood at around 11 tonnes per person.” In “United Kingdom ranked as a highest,” the article and noun phrase are not formed correctly; write “the United Kingdom had the highest emissions.” The sentence “In 1987, it became 10 metric tonnes then reached…” also needs clearer punctuation and a more accurate subject. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and vary sentence patterns while keeping them controlled.

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