Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-14

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 graph illustrates common carbon dioxide release per person between 1967 and 2007 in the four countries UK, Sweden, Italy and Portugal. The unit for measurement used in tonnes.

Overall, it can be seen that in Italy and Portugal the carbon dioxide emission increases, but in Sweden it fell at the end of the period 2007 .

According to the graph , in united kingdom the release of carbon dioxide was around 10 tonnes per person but it gradually drops to 8 tonnes in 2007. In contrast, the figure of emission in Sweden reached at the peak of 10 tonnes but fell to 4 tones, making it the less emitted gas in 2007.

Furthermore, in 1967 the figure for carbon dioxide emission in Italy and Portugal was approximately 2 and 4 tonnes respectively , however it Reached 8 tonnes in 2007 Italy and around 2 tonnes Portugal, which was higher as compare to Sweden .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall contrast between rising emissions in Italy and Portugal and falling emissions in Sweden, and you note the UK’s gradual decline. However, several key figures are misreported: Portugal rises from about 1 tonne to 5.4, not from 4 to around 2, while Italy ends at about 7.6 rather than 8. Sweden falls from about 8.6 to 5.4, not from 10 to 4. The overview also omits that the UK remains the highest emitter throughout and that Italy overtakes Sweden. These inaccuracies and omissions leave the summary only partly complete. Check the starting and ending values carefully, then select the most important comparisons for a clearer, more accurate account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of supporting details. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “Furthermore” help signal relationships between points. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the final paragraph combines Italy and Portugal while reversing their figures, and the comparison with Sweden at the end is difficult to interpret. Some transitions feel mechanical rather than guiding the reader through a clear comparison. Organise the details by trend—for example, the declining countries and the rising countries—and keep each country’s figures together. This would make the comparisons easier to follow and strengthen the overall progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emission,” “per person,” “gradually,” and “peak,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural: “common carbon dioxide release,” “the less emitted gas,” and “higher as compare to” do not express the intended comparisons naturally. “Tones” is also a spelling error for “tonnes,” and “release” is repeated where more precise terms would help. Aim for accurate collocations such as “per-capita emissions,” “the lowest figure,” and “compared with.” Greater precision in describing rises, falls, and rankings would make the report more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “In contrast” and a sentence using “however.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms occur throughout. For example, “The unit for measurement used in tonnes” is a fragment, while “the figure of emission in Sweden reached at the peak” has an incorrect verb pattern. The final sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure around “it Reached 8 tonnes in 2007 Italy.” Articles, capitalization, and punctuation are inconsistent, as in “in united kingdom” and the spaces before commas. Practise complete sentences and accurate patterns such as “reached a peak of” and “rose to.”

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