Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-26

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 7.0)

This line chart compares the average carbon dioxide release per person in metric tons in four different countries during 1967 to 2007.

Overall, Portugal and Italy follows the upward trend for Co2 emissions from 1967 to 2007, whereas United Kingdom and Sweden represents the downward trend during the same period.

In 1967, on average, In UK, each person released almost 11 metric tons of gas into the environment which was highest during the given period which steadily declined up to 9 metric tons in 2007. During the initial years, co2 emissions in Sweden peaked out from about 9 metric tons to more than 10 metric tons in 1977 which then dropped over the following years to around less than 6 metric tons in 2007.

Both Italy and Portugal, followed the parallel upward trend from 1967 to 1997, noticing the 7.5 and 5 metric tons of gas respectively, which then stayed stable over the next decade.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully identifies the main trends and makes relevant comparisons between the four countries. You have clearly distinguished between the countries that showed an upward trend (Italy and Portugal) and those that showed a downward trend (UK and Sweden). The key features, such as the peak in Sweden and the steady decline in the UK, are highlighted. However, the description of the data for Italy and Portugal is slightly imprecise; stating they followed a 'parallel' trend is a bit vague, and the data points mentioned could be more accurately linked to specific years to improve the clarity of the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group the countries by their trends. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'during the initial years', and 'which then' are used to connect ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by minor mechanical issues, such as the awkward phrasing in the overview ('Portugal and Italy follows'). Paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of information is generally easy to follow, though the transition between the description of the UK/Sweden and Italy/Portugal could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the trends, such as 'upward trend', 'downward trend', 'steadily declined', and 'peaked out'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'carbon dioxide release' instead of 'emissions' and 'noticing the 7.5' which is not the correct verb for describing data points. While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and nouns would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that slightly distract the reader, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Portugal and Italy follows', 'United Kingdom and Sweden represents') and unnecessary capitalization ('Co2'). Additionally, the use of articles is inconsistent, particularly with country names ('In UK'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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