Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-09

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 an average of emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) per person between United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the eye catching feature the metric tonnes of CO2 emission in United Kingdom and Sweden is gradually decreasing in comparison of Italy and Portugal, it is given that Italy and Sweden are parallelly increasing.

In detail, CO2 emission in metric tonnes of United Kingdom drastically decreased from 11 metric tonnes in 1967 to 9 metric tonnes in 2007. Moreover, in Sweden it was initially fluctuated in 1967 from 9 metric tonnes and was peaked to 10.5 in 1977 then, gradually got down through the year 1987 to 5.5 metric tonnes in 2007 by intersecting Portugal CO2 emission in 2007.

However, Italy was moderately increased and intersected Sweden's CO2 emission starting in the year 1967 4.2 to 6.8 metric tonnes in 2007 also, in Portugal it gradually rose from 1.5 to 6.8 metric tonnes in 1967 to 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the four countries and the overall contrast between falling emissions in the UK and Sweden and rising figures in Italy and Portugal. You also include several relevant values, such as the UK’s decline from about 11 to 9 tonnes and Sweden’s peak in 1977. However, the overview is unclear and contains a contradiction: it says Italy and Sweden are “parallelly increasing,” although Sweden falls after 1977. Some details are inaccurate or imprecise: Italy ends at about 7.6 tonnes, not 6.8, and Portugal ends at about 5.4, not 6.8. The account also misses the key comparison that the UK remains highest while Portugal rises from the lowest starting point. Select the main trends more accurately and support them with clearer comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and the sequence broadly moves from general trends to country figures. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow. For example, “in Sweden it was initially fluctuated” and “However, Italy was moderately increased” make the relationships between points unclear, while the final sentence combines Italy and Portugal data in a confusing way. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “However” are used, but do not always show the intended contrast or addition. Organise the details by trend—for example, declining countries first, then rising countries—and use clear references and transitions so each comparison follows logically.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “metric tonnes,” “emission,” “decreased,” “peaked” and “intersected,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range and control of phrasing are limited, and several collocations or word forms sound unnatural: “an average of emitting carbon dioxide,” “eye catching feature,” “was moderately increased” and “gradually got down.” Some choices also make the meaning less precise; “intersected” is used where the data show Italy overtaking Sweden, and Portugal meeting Sweden at the end. Aim for standard graph-reporting expressions such as “average emissions,” “rose steadily,” “declined” and “overtook.” More accurate, natural combinations would make the comparisons clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including time clauses and comparisons, but complex constructions are often faulty and errors recur across the response. Examples include “between United Kingdom” (missing an article and an appropriate preposition), “the eye catching feature the metric tonnes…” (an incomplete clause), and “it was initially fluctuated” (incorrect verb construction). The sentence beginning “Moreover, in Sweden…” also has unclear tense and clause structure, while the final sentence lacks a clear grammatical link between the two countries. These errors sometimes make relationships difficult to interpret. Practise forming complete overview sentences and use consistent past-tense verbs for the historical data, checking articles, agreement and sentence boundaries.

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