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 illustrated the carbon footprint created per person from 1967 to 2007 in various countries such as UK, Swedan, Italy and Portugal.

It can be seen that Italy and Portugal have experienced a gradual climb through out the years. However, in the UK and Swedan, they have intially outnumbered the emissions and undergone a gradual decline afterward.

To begin with Portugal, it starts with the lowest emission of CO2 by 1 mertic tonnes and it also ends up as the lowest out of all 4 countries. Nevertheless, it experienced the exponential growth during 1987. In Italy, the emisssion starts with approximately 4 metric tonnes, having a slight increase in 1977 and ends up with second highest of discharge in 2007.

For Sweden, it begins with the 2nd most effected in 1967. In spite of that, it has a sharp rise from 1967 to 1977 and fall substantially later to 1987. It fall steadily to the point of being the lowest emission made by 2007. In UK, it has the most progressive decrease compared to other 4 countries. It started as the highest yet it still remained as the highest greenhouse gas emitted country.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast between rising emissions in Italy and Portugal and falling emissions in Sweden and the UK, and you note that the UK remains highest. However, some key comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. Portugal does not finish as the lowest: it reaches about 5.4 tonnes, level with Sweden, while Sweden is not the lowest by itself. Italy ends joint second with Sweden, rather than clearly second highest. The claim that Portugal has “exponential growth during 1987” is also misleading; its increase is gradual across the period. The overview is relevant, but the report needs more precise comparisons and clearer coverage of the main changes, especially Italy’s rise and Sweden’s peak in 1977.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a broad overview, and separate discussion of Portugal/Italy and Sweden/the UK. This makes the main direction of change reasonably easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “However,” “Nevertheless,” and “In spite of that” show an effort to connect ideas, although some transitions are mechanical or do not express the relationship accurately. For example, “Nevertheless” does not clearly contrast with the preceding point about Portugal’s starting and ending position. References such as “it” in the final paragraph can also be ambiguous when several countries are discussed. Grouping the countries by trend and using clearer comparisons between their endpoints would strengthen progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “gradual decline,” “sharp rise,” and “metric tonnes,” so the subject is generally clear. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “exponential growth” overstates Portugal’s steady rise, “most effected” is not suitable for describing emissions, and “progressive decrease” is less natural than “steady decline.” Spelling errors such as “Swedan,” “intially,” “mertic,” and “emisssion” are noticeable and reduce precision. Aim for accurate, conventional chart language rather than dramatic terms, and check spelling carefully. More precise verbs and comparison phrases would help you describe trends without changing their meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including “However, in the UK and Swedan, they have intially outnumbered the emissions and undergone a gradual decline afterward.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some sentence patterns and verb forms are faulty. In that example, the subject is unclear and “they have … undergone” does not fit the time period being described; use a clear country as the subject and past simple forms. Other examples include “it starts” and “it also ends up,” where past-tense reporting would be more consistent, and “It fall steadily,” which needs “fell.” Articles and prepositions are also sometimes awkward, as in “begins with the 2nd most effected.” More consistent tense control and clearer sentence construction would improve accuracy.

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