Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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 chart below represents the average emission of carbon dioxide by per person in four various countries in between the time period of 1967 and 2007.

Overall, it is clear that the Portugal accounts for the highest share of portion of carbon dioxide emission by per person. Whereas, Sweden has showed eratic movement in the number of gas emitted by per person throughout the timeline. The emission of carbon dioxide is measured in metric tonnes.

At a fleeting glance, Portugal has gradually increased the emission per person throughout the given time frame. In 1967, it was less than 2 metric tonnes whereas in 2007 it almost climbed up to 5 tonnes roughly. Suprisingly in Italy, till 1977 the emission was almost stagantly increasing, remaining almost steady by the followed by next three decades at roughly between 7 to 8 tonnes.

Furthermore, Sweden is the only country amongst all the four given countries which has showed a surge in the emission of the gas in the first 10 years at just above 10 metric tonnes, followed by the sudden slump from 10 tonnes to directly 5 tonnes by the year 2007. Intrestingly, the emission of carbon dioxide by per person in UK has remain almost stable throughout the time, but has a small drop of tonnes from 11 tonnes in 1977 to 9 tonnes follwed by all the upcoming years till 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant trends, including Portugal’s rise, Sweden’s peak in 1977 followed by decline, and the UK’s overall downward movement. However, the overview contains a major misreading: Portugal did not have the highest emissions; it remained among the lowest, while the UK was highest throughout. The Italy description is also unclear and partly inaccurate: emissions rose from about 4.3 tonnes in 1967 to 6.7 in 1987, then reached about 7.6 by 1997 and stayed level. Some figures and comparisons are reported, but the inaccurate overview and limited coverage of the key relationships mean the task is only partially addressed. Make the overview accurately identify the UK’s consistently high position and the convergence of Italy and Portugal with Sweden by 2007.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing country trends. This gives the reader a coherent overall arrangement, and transitions such as “Furthermore” help signal a shift in focus. However, progression within some sentences is difficult to follow. The Italy sentence beginning “till 1977” combines its early rise with a later period in a confusing way, while “followed by the sudden slump from 10 tonnes to directly 5 tonnes” compresses a decline across several years. Some linking phrases, including “At a fleeting glance” and “Interestingly,” feel mechanical or do not clarify the relationship between points. Grouping the countries by contrasting trends and using clearer time references would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “surge,” “slump,” “gradually increased,” and “almost stable.” These choices show an effort to move beyond basic repetition. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “highest share of portion,” “eratic movement,” “stagantly increasing,” and “sudden slump … directly 5 tonnes.” Spelling errors such as “Suprisingly,” “Intrestingly,” and “follwed” are also noticeable. These issues sometimes make the intended meaning less clear, particularly in the overview and the Italy description. Prefer precise, conventional chart language—for example, “fluctuated,” “rose steadily,” “remained stable,” and “fell to”—and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and attempts at more complex structures, including contrast clauses with “Whereas” and time clauses such as “whereas in 2007.” The main trends are generally understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “the Portugal accounts” has an unnecessary article and incorrect agreement, “Sweden has showed” uses an incorrect verb form, and “the emission … in UK has remain” has errors in both the verb form and article use. The sentence beginning “Suprisingly in Italy” also lacks a clear grammatical connection between its clauses, and “a small drop of tonnes” is incomplete in structure. Work on subject–verb agreement, articles, and consistent past-tense reporting, while keeping longer sentences clearly joined and punctuated.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.