Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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)

In italy and Portugal the carbon dioxide emissions per person grow up in the 40 years analyzed, in particular italy went fom 4 up to the value 8 and Portugal went from 2 up to the value 5/6.

Menwhile sweden had a grow up in the first half of the years analyzed and then the values have dropped, from value 8/9 down to the value 5/6 and also the value of United Kingdom dropped fromvalue 11 down to the value 8/9.

At the start of the analysis all the nation had very different data as starting value, but at the end of the analysis the range of values has narrowed, with data that are between the value 5/6 and the value 8/9. In some city the development had a great impact, for example in Sweden and Uk, but in other city the growth has had a negative impact for the people

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad patterns: emissions rise in Italy and Portugal, while Sweden rises and then falls, and the UK declines. The comparison that the countries’ figures become closer by 2007 is also relevant. However, some reporting is imprecise: Italy ends at about 7.6 tonnes, not 8, and Portugal at about 5.4, rather than an unclear “5/6.” The overview also misses the key ranking at the end: the UK remains highest, while Sweden and Portugal finish at roughly the same level. The final claim about impacts “for the people” is unsupported by the graph, which shows emissions only. More precise figures and a focused overview of the main comparisons would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from the two rising countries to Sweden and the UK, then to a general comparison of the beginning and end. Connectors such as “in particular,” “then,” and “but” help show relationships between ideas. However, the information is presented in only a few long, loosely connected sentences, and there is no clear introduction or distinct overview. Phrases such as “at the start of the analysis” and “at the end of the analysis” repeat the same framing without adding much progression. The final sentence shifts to unsupported effects on people, weakening the focus. Organise the response into a brief introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing the trends, using clearer links between each point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “per person,” “dropped,” “starting value,” and “range of values,” so the general subject is understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “grow up,” “had a grow up,” and “the development had a great impact.” Spelling errors, including “fom” and “Menwhile,” also reduce accuracy. “In some city” is not an appropriate way to refer to the countries shown. Aim for precise trend language and standard collocations, for example “increased,” “rose,” “declined,” and “the gap between the countries narrowed.” This would make the description clearer and more suitable for an academic graph report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses such as “while Sweden had a grow up … and then the values have dropped,” but the response relies mainly on long sentences joined by commas and has frequent problems with verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries. For example, “the carbon dioxide emissions … grow up” does not maintain an appropriate tense for a period that ended in 2007, while “all the nation had” has an agreement error. The construction “from value 8/9 down to the value 5/6” also lacks consistent article use. These errors sometimes make the relationships between figures harder to follow. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and use shorter, well-punctuated sentences alongside a few controlled complex structures.

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