Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 graph below displays the comparision of the average carbon dioxide emissions per person in four different countries between 1967 and 2007. It can be observed that the average CO2 emissions two countries dropped over the period while the others kept increasing.

The Co2 emission of the UK gradually decreases since 1967 to 2007. However, the total CO2 emission of the UK is still highest as compared to other contries over the years. The Co2 emission of Sweden spiked from 1967 to 1977 and then drops drastically from the year 1977 to 1987. Afterwards we can observe as gradual decline in the Co2 emission of Sweden from 1987 to 2007. It can also be overviewed that while the other countries either has a gradual increase of decrease in Co2 emission, Sweden is the only one with such sharp fluctuations. On contrary to these two Sweden and UK, Italy and Portugal observed a gradual increase in the Co2 emission. From the overall graph,it is evident that the Portual is the least emittor of the CO2.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main broad patterns: UK and Sweden decline overall, while Italy and Portugal rise, and you note that the UK remains the highest and Portugal starts as the lowest. These are relevant features and give the response a clear overview. However, some comparisons are incomplete or imprecise. Italy does not keep increasing throughout: it rises to about 7.6 tonnes by 1997 and then remains stable in 2007. Portugal also catches up with Sweden at roughly 5.4 tonnes by the end, a notable comparison that is omitted. The claim that Sweden has “sharp fluctuations” is only partly supported; its rise and subsequent fall are clear, but the later decline is gradual. Include a few key figures to make these trends more precise and fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable progression from an opening overview to descriptions of the countries, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Afterwards” and “On contrary” show an effort to connect ideas. The main weakness is that the information is not grouped as clearly as it could be: the UK and Sweden are discussed first, then Italy and Portugal are mentioned together only briefly, leaving the rising trends underdeveloped. Some transitions are awkward or repetitive, and the final sentence repeats the point that Portugal is the lowest without clarifying that it reaches Sweden’s level by 2007. Use separate, balanced paragraphs for the overview and the main trend groups, and make each comparison lead naturally to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “average carbon dioxide emissions,” “gradually decreases,” “spiked” and “gradual increase,” so the reader can understand the main trends. There is some variety, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “total CO2 emission” when describing a per-person average, “least emittor,” and “sharp fluctuations” for Sweden’s pattern. Spelling errors in “comparision,” “contries” and “Portual” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language and consistent terminology: describe per-person emissions as “emissions per capita,” and use verbs such as “rose,” “fell” and “levelled off” to distinguish the different movements. This would make the account clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including contrast with “However” and a time sequence with “Afterwards,” and the overall meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with verb forms, agreement and sentence construction. For example, “decreases since 1967 to 2007” uses an unsuitable tense and preposition; “the other countries either has” has an agreement error; and “Sweden and UK” needs an article before UK. The phrase “we can observe as gradual decline” also has an incorrect construction. Use past simple consistently for this completed period, check singular and plural subjects, and proofread articles and punctuation. These corrections would improve control while preserving your attempts at varied sentence forms.

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