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 line graph illustrates the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each person in the UK, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Overall, the UK emissions remained the most popular metric tones throughout the period, while Sweden had the second position at first but lastly Italy had the second highest emissions in 2007. However, during the period under review, Portugal had the lowest outflow rate.

In 1967, the UK had the highest percentage at around 11 metric tones, however this number has decreased slightly each year and reach at around 9 metric tones in 2007. Followed by Sweden emissions which is started at around 9 metric tones. Sweden emissions had went up approximately 11 tones in 1977. In the following years, this figure dropped significantly, falling to approximately 5 tonnes in 2007.

Regarding the Italy, this figure started at about 4 tonnes in 1967. After 1967, Italy emissions dramatically grew over the period and reaching at 7 tonnes. The lastly had Portugal emissions, this figure started at around 1 tonnes in 1967. Furthermore, this emissions unexpected increased at around 5 metric tonnes in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You provide a relevant summary and identify the main overall patterns: UK emissions were highest throughout, Portugal began lowest, and Italy rose to become the second-highest country by 2007. The figures you give are broadly consistent with the graph, including the UK’s fall from about 11 to 9 tonnes and Sweden’s rise before its marked decline. However, the overview is not fully precise: Italy and Portugal both finish at about 7.6 and 5.4 tonnes respectively, so Portugal does not remain the lowest in 2007; it is level with Sweden. The account of Italy also omits that its rise was gradual and that it levelled off after 1997. Make the final comparison explicit and report the key end-point relationship accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs describing the data. This helps the reader follow the broad movement across the four countries. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is sometimes awkward, and several linking phrases do not clearly express the relationship between ideas. For example, “Followed by Sweden emissions” and “The lastly had Portugal emissions” make the sequence difficult to follow, while “however” is used where a full contrast is not clearly established. Use straightforward topic sentences and connect each country’s starting point, change and final figure in a consistent order. Clearer referencing would also help readers identify what “this figure” refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “emissions,” “decreased,” “dropped significantly” and “metric tonnes,” and the main trends are generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unsuitable for describing a graph. “Most popular metric tones” does not convey that the UK had the highest emissions; “outflow rate” is not an appropriate description of emissions; and “percentage” is incorrect because the data are measured in tonnes. There are also spelling and form issues, including “tones” for “tonnes.” Aim for precise, conventional reporting language, such as “the highest level of emissions,” “per-person emissions,” and “rose steadily.” This will make the comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction recur. For example, “this number has decreased … and reach” mixes verb forms, while “Sweden emissions had went up” has an incorrect past participle and lacks a possessive form. The sentence beginning “After 1967” also combines “grew” with “reaching” without a well-formed structure, and “this emissions” has incorrect agreement. Practise using consistent past-tense forms for the historical data and check subject–verb agreement. Shorter, complete sentences will help you express each trend accurately while you build control of more complex structures.

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