Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-28

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 amount of carbon dioxide expelling each person in four countries(United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal) in between 1967 and 2007.

Overall, it is clear that emission of CO2 in Portugal increased dramatically in the following years, whereas Sweden experienced a significant decline after a considerable increased in the starting years .While emissions of CO2 in UK was higher than other countries which fells slowly throughout the years .

In the term of Portugal ,emissions of CO2 per person increased dramatically from 1tonnes to 5tonnes between the 1967 and 2007 which was less than other countries . Similarly expelling of CO2 in Italy increased from 4 to almost 8tonnes in the following years .

Emissions in Sweden rise from 8 to 10tonnes in 1977, and than dramatically fell to the 5tonnes which almost cross thee Portugal in 2007 . In 1967, UK had highest amount of CO2 emissions that was 11tonnes before a slightly fell to 7tonnes in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall patterns: UK emissions remain the highest while declining, Portugal rises substantially, and Sweden falls after an early increase. The country-by-country details are generally relevant, and the approximate figures are mostly consistent with the graph. However, some important comparisons are only partly developed. For example, Italy rises to about 7.6 tonnes and then levels off, but you do not mention this plateau; nor do you clearly note that Portugal catches up with Sweden by 2007. The UK figure is also described as falling to 7 tonnes, whereas it is closer to 8.7. A more precise overview and fuller reporting of these key end-point comparisons would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the countries’ figures. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “In 1967” help connect points. However, some connections are awkward or unclear, particularly “which almost cross thee Portugal in 2007,” where the comparison is difficult to follow. The overview also combines several trends in one long sentence, and the country details move between subjects without always making the comparison explicit. Use clearer topic sentences and link related countries directly—for instance, compare Sweden and Portugal at the 2007 endpoint—to make progression smoother and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “increased,” “decline,” and “dramatically,” and the reader can generally understand the trends you describe. There is some attempt to vary wording, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “carbon dioxide expelling each person” and “expelling of CO2” do not express per-person emissions naturally, while “a considerable increased” uses the wrong form. Repetition of “emissions of CO2” also limits flexibility. Aim for precise collocations such as “CO2 emissions per person,” “rose,” “fell,” and “remained stable.” Check spelling and word forms as well, including “fell” versus “fells” and “tonnes” as a plural unit. These improvements would make the description clearer and more idiomatic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast in the overview and clauses beginning with “which.” The main trends are usually understandable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries occur across the response. Examples include “emission … was higher,” where the subject and verb do not agree, “Sweden rise,” and “a slightly fell.” The opening sentence also needs clearer grammatical construction, and punctuation is inconsistent, especially around the overview’s long sentence. Practise forming accurate past-tense comparisons, such as “emissions in Sweden rose … and then fell,” and use shorter sentences when combining several trends. More consistent control of these patterns would improve accuracy while preserving your range.

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