Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-28

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 6.5)

The given line graph represents average carbon dioxide emissions in four different countries which are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal in between the years 1967 and 2007. The data has been calibrated into metric tonnes.

Overall, it is crystal clear that the United Kingdoms had the highest carbon dioxide emissions during the given period of time whereas, Portugal had the lowest carbon emission.

At the fleeting glance, in the year 1967 the carbon emission for Portugal was approximately 1 metric tonnes whereas, it rapidly increased from year 1987 to 1997 to 5 tonnes but was similar in 2007 which was approximately 5.5 metric tonnes in both Sweden and Portugal. It was observed that carbon emission in Sweden quickly increased from 8 to 9 metric tonnes to 10.5 metric tonnes whereas, it sharply falls from 10.5 to 5.5 metric tonnes from year 1977 to 2007.

Moving further, the United Kingdom's carbon emission was approximately 10.5 metric tonnes in year 1967 while it slowly decreased from year 1977 to 2007 to approximately 9 metric tonnes. Furthermore, Italy which had 4.5 carbon emissions in metric tonnes in year 1967 while it rapidly increased to 9.5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in year 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all four countries and the time period effectively. You have identified the main trends, such as the UK's overall decline and Italy's growth. However, there are some inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you state the UK had the highest emissions throughout the period, but the graph shows Sweden overtaking the UK in the late 1970s. Additionally, the description of Sweden's trend is confusing, as you mention it increased to 10.5 and then fell to 5.5, which is a bit muddled. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are accurately transcribed and that the overview clearly highlights the most significant shifts rather than just listing countries.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moving further' and 'Furthermore' to transition between ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal flow within the third paragraph is hindered by confusing data reporting, which makes the progression of ideas feel less smooth. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence builds logically on the previous one would improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'calibrated', 'metric tonnes', and 'period of time'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'At the fleeting glance' (should be 'At a glance') and 'carbon emission' (should be 'carbon emissions'). You also use 'crystal clear', which is slightly informal for an Academic Task 1 report. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that you use plural forms correctly when referring to data points.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'the United Kingdoms' (should be 'the United Kingdom'), '1 metric tonnes' (should be '1 metric tonne'), and 'it sharply falls' (should be 'it sharply fell' to maintain past tense consistency). There are also issues with preposition usage and article placement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on maintaining consistent tense and checking subject-verb agreement.

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