Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 emission of carbon dioxide per person in four different countries including UNITED KINGDOM, SWEDEN, ITALY and PORTUGAL betweeen 1967 and 2007.

Overall, according to emissions of carbon, there rate in United KIngdom remained higher and in Portugal at lowest from [redacted phone].

In Portugal, average emission of carbon dioxide increased rapidly from 1967 to 2007, which also increased rate of CO2 per person approximately from 2 to 4.5.

Although, carbon dioxide emissions in Sweden elevated for a decade, but they decreased constantly after 1977 till 2007.Moreover, carbon emissions in Italy also rised for a decade and escalated continuously for 20years and remained amplified till 2007. The emission per person also increased from 4 to 6.5. The rate of carbon release in United Kingdom stayed at highest having 12 releasees of carbon emissions per person at starting but it decreased to approx 9.5 per individual.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall contrast that the UK had the highest emissions and Portugal the lowest, and you report several broad trends, including Sweden’s rise followed by decline and Italy’s increase. However, the overview is incomplete: Portugal did not remain the lowest in 2007, when it reached roughly the same level as Sweden. Some figures are also inaccurate or unclear: Portugal rose from about 1.2 to 5.4 tonnes, not from 2 to 4.5, and the UK began at about 10.8 rather than 12. The response is just short of the required 150 words. To develop the report more fully, include the key endpoint comparison and use accurate approximate values to support the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an introduction, an overview and a paragraph describing country trends. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Although” and “Moreover” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the overview is very brief, and the final paragraph moves between Portugal, Sweden, Italy and the UK without a clear grouping or comparison. Some links are awkward or contradictory, as in “Although … but,” while “which also increased rate” does not clearly connect the figures to the preceding point. Organise the details into clearer comparisons—for example, declining countries versus rising countries—and use simpler, more precise transitions to make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “per person,” “decreased” and “increased,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. There is also an attempt to vary wording with “elevated,” “escalated” and “amplified.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph: “rate of carbon release,” “12 releasees,” and “remained amplified” obscure the intended meaning. Repetition of “carbon emissions” and “increased” also limits range, and spelling and capitalisation are inconsistent, as in “betweeen” and “KIngdom.” Prefer standard collocations such as “emissions per capita,” “rose to” and “remained stable,” and check spelling and country-name capitalisation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which also increased…” and a contrast structure beginning “Although.” However, control is uneven, and some sentence patterns are faulty or difficult to follow. “Although … but” uses two contrasting markers where one is needed; “there rate” has an unclear pronoun and agreement; and “which also increased rate” lacks a clear grammatical subject and article. There are also punctuation and spacing problems, such as the missing space after “2007.” The meaning is often recoverable, but these errors reduce clarity. Practise accurate comparison structures and past-tense reporting, and proofread each sentence for complete clauses, articles and punctuation.

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