Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-16

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 shows average carben dioxide emission per person in four European countries between 1967 and 2007.

overall, carbon dioxide emissions declined in Uk and Sweden.while italy and protugal experienced increase.The UK highest carben dioxide emission at the end of period, whereas portugal started with lowest figure.

The UK emission around 10.5 tonnes per person in 1967 and the ratio dropped gradually around 8.5 tonnes per person in 2007.The Sweden emission around 8.3 tonnes per person in 1967 and the ratio peaked dramatically in 1977 but ratio fell sequentially around 5 tonnes per person in 2007.

The Italy emission around 4.5 tonnes per person in 1967 which was lowest figure then ratio surged significantly around 7.5 tonnes per person next 40 years.Portugal also showed an upward trend, with emissions rising from about 1.2 tonnes to 5.4 tonnes over the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall contrast: emissions fell in the UK and Sweden but rose in Italy and Portugal, and you note the UK remained highest while Portugal began lowest. Most figures and trends are broadly consistent with the graph. However, the overview is brief, and some important comparisons are underdeveloped: for example, Italy rose to about 7.6 tonnes and finished above Sweden, while Portugal reached roughly the same level as Sweden by 2007. The description of Sweden’s 1977 peak would also be clearer with its approximate value. The response is 10 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to report and compare the main features. Add a fuller overview and one or two precise end-point comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing the countries’ trends. This makes the information generally easy to follow. The contrast in the overview and the sequence from 1967 to 2007 provide a sensible progression. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, “The UK emission…” and “The Sweden emission…” repeat the same sentence opening, while “then” and “but” do not always make the relationships between details fully clear. The overview also runs directly into the next sentence without appropriate spacing after “Sweden.” Use more varied references such as “this figure” or “by contrast,” and group countries with similar trends to make comparisons more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “declined,” “peaked,” “gradually,” “upward trend,” and “rising.” These choices help communicate the broad movements. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “carben dioxide” is misspelled, “emission” is repeatedly used where the plural or “emissions” is needed, and “the ratio” is not an appropriate substitute for an emissions figure. “Surged significantly” also overstates Italy’s steady rise. Use accurate terms such as “per-capita emissions,” “figure,” and “increased steadily,” and check country names, including “Portugal.” More precise vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer clauses, as in “Portugal also showed an upward trend, with emissions rising…” This structure is effective, but overall the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to affect fluency. Examples include missing or incorrect articles and possessives in “The UK emission” and “The Sweden emission,” and the incomplete construction “The Italy emission around 4.5 tonnes… which was lowest figure.” Sentence boundaries and capitalization are also inconsistent, as in “overall” and “Sweden.while.” Practise complete sentences with accurate subjects and verbs—for example, “UK emissions stood at about 10.5 tonnes per person in 1967 and fell to 8.5 tonnes by 2007.” Careful proofreading of articles, agreement, and punctuation will improve control.

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