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 below illustrates average carbon dioxide emissions per person from 1967 to 2007 in four different countries including United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal

Overall, the highest emissions CO2 accounted for United Kingdom while Italy accounted for the second highest among others.However, Sweden and Portugal came up with a equal figure.

United Kingdom started with approximately 11 metric tonnes CO2 emissions by 1967 while after a decade it faced a significant drawback and reached around 9 metric tonnes by 2007. In 1967 the rate of CO2 emissions in Italy was more then 4 metric tonnes but after a decade it increased significantly and ended their proportion with almost 9 by 2007

Sweden started with around 9 metric tonnes CO2 emissions by 1967 although it faced a dramatic decrease after 1977 and finished their figure at roughly 6 by 2007. Finally in 1967 CO2 emisssions in Portugal was lower then 1 metric tonnes however after few decades it rised and ended up their proportion with approximately 6 by 2007

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the countries and period, and your overview correctly notes that the UK had the highest emissions for most of the period and that Sweden and Portugal ended at similar levels. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Italy was not the second-highest throughout, and by 2007 the UK remained highest, followed by Italy, with Sweden and Portugal equal. Several details also misreport the data. Italy finished at about 7.6 tonnes, not almost 9, while the UK fell gradually to about 8.7 rather than reaching 9 after a “significant drawback.” Portugal began above 1 tonne, and Sweden ended at about 5.4, not roughly 6. Select the main trends more precisely and compare the countries at the end of the period to make the summary more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, an overview, and descriptions of the four countries. This makes the information generally easy to follow, and transitions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Finally” help signal movement between points. However, the overview and country details are not consistently connected: the claim that Italy was second-highest is not qualified by year, and the country descriptions do not clearly group the similar downward trends of the UK and Sweden or the rises in Italy and Portugal. Some linking is mechanical, and punctuation around sentence boundaries is inconsistent, as in “among others.However”. Organise the body around contrasting trends and use clearer comparisons to create stronger progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “metric tonnes,” “dramatic decrease,” and “increased significantly,” so the reader can understand the general subject and direction of change. However, the range and precision are limited by repeated or unsuitable expressions. “Faced a significant drawback” is not a natural way to describe a decline in emissions, while “ended their proportion” does not clearly express a final figure. There are also noticeable word-form and spelling problems, such as “emisssions,” “rised,” and “more then.” Choose standard trend language and collocations, and use precise verbs such as “fell,” “rose,” “peaked,” and “levelled off” to report the data more accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer clauses, including contrasts introduced by “while” and “although,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, control is uneven, particularly in longer sentences. For example, “Italy was more then 4 metric tonnes but after a decade it increased significantly and ended their proportion” contains unclear clause structure and faulty pronoun reference; “Sweden started … although it faced a dramatic decrease” also makes the trend description awkwardly constructed. Articles and agreement need attention in phrases such as “a equal figure” and “United Kingdom.” Sentence punctuation is sometimes missing, notably after the overview. Build shorter, well-controlled comparisons first, then combine them with accurate clauses and consistent past-tense reporting.

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.