Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-30

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)

The graph below demonstrates average carbon dioxide emissions per individual in four different places and in five years.

Overall, the United Kingdom had the highest emissions per person throughout most of the period despite decline, while Portugal remained the lowest, though it saw the sharpest rise. Sweden and Italy followed less consistent, fluctuating patterns.

The United Kingdom began highest at 10.8 tonnes in 1967 year, peaked at 11 tonnes in 1977 year, then declined steadily to 8.7 tonnes by 2007 year. Sweden started far low at 4.5 tonnes but rose sharply to nearly matches to the United Kingdom's peak in the1977 year, before falling consistently to 5.3 tonnes. Italy showed a more gradual, undisturbed rise, from 4.2 tonnes to 7.7 tonnes by 1997 year, then plateaued. Portugal, the lowest throughout, grow slowly to 2.5 tonnes by 1987 year before speed up to 5.3 tonnes in 2007 year closely converging with Sweden's declining figure by the end.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all four countries and highlighted the key features, such as the UK's decline and Portugal's sharp rise. The comparison between countries is well-integrated. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with precision; for example, stating 'nearly matches' is slightly vague when the graph shows a specific peak. Overall, you have addressed the requirements of the task effectively by selecting and reporting the most significant information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and a detailed body paragraph. You use cohesive devices such as 'while', 'though', and 'before' to link ideas effectively. However, the progression within the body paragraph could be smoother. The transition between the description of the UK and Sweden is a bit abrupt. Using more varied linking phrases or starting new sentences with clear signposts would improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the specific data analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the trends, using terms like 'fluctuating', 'plateaued', and 'converging'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as '1967 year' (which should be 'in 1967') and 'grew slowly' (you wrote 'grow'). Additionally, 'undisturbed rise' is not a standard collocation in this context. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations for describing graphs will enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and word forms, such as 'before speed up' (should be 'before speeding up') and 'nearly matches to' (should be 'nearly matched'). The frequent inclusion of the word 'year' after dates is redundant and grammatically incorrect. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause difficulty for the reader. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help improve your score in this criterion.

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