Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10

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 6.0)

The line graph depicts the information about average carbon dioxide emissions per person in five different countries during the period from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the United Kingdom had the highest carbon dioxide emissions throughout the period, while Portugal had the lowest. Moreover, carbon dioxide emissions in the Sweden had far higher than the Italy at the start period. However, The Italy overtook the Sweden by the end of the year. Carbon dioxide emissions fell in the United Kingdom and the Sweden, whereas opposite trend in the Italy and Portugal.

To begin with, in 1967, the United Kingdom recorded the highest figure at around 12 metric tones of carbon dioxide emissions , followed by the Portugal approximately 1 metric tones. The figure for the United kingdom dropped constantly over the period of 40 years, reaching around 7 metric tones of carbon dioxide emissions. On the contrary, carbon dioxide emissions in Portugal rose dramatically over the period, finishing nearly 5 metric tones in 2007.

Furthermore, The figure for Sweden in 1967 stood at around 9 metric tones, while The figure for Italy was approximately 4 metric tones. Carbon dioxide emissions in Sweden increased significantly and reach a peak of around 11 metric tones before experiencing sharp decline, finishing around 5 metric tones. However, the number of the carbon dioxide emissions in Italy surged rapidly and surpassed the Sweden in 1987, reaching around 8 metric tones in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons between the four countries. The overview is clear and highlights the key differences in trajectories, such as the UK's decline versus the growth in Portugal and Italy. However, there is a factual error in the introduction where you mention 'five different countries' when only four are shown in the graph. Additionally, the data interpretation for Portugal in 1967 is inaccurate; the graph shows it starting at approximately 1 metric tonne, but your description of the trends is generally well-supported by the data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the contrary', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader. However, the use of referencing is occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'the Sweden' or 'the Italy', which disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different country trends, which helps the reader follow the comparison. To improve, ensure that cohesive devices are used more naturally and avoid repetitive sentence structures when transitioning between data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surged', 'dramatically', 'overtook', and 'metric tonnes'. However, there are consistent errors with articles, such as 'the Sweden' and 'the Italy', which are grammatically incorrect in this context. There are also minor word choice issues, such as 'at the start period' instead of 'at the beginning of the period'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, the frequent errors with articles and minor collocations prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with the use of definite articles ('the Sweden', 'the Italy', 'the Portugal') and subject-verb agreement ('emissions in the Sweden had far higher'). Some sentences are also slightly awkward, such as 'whereas opposite trend in the Italy'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on article usage and ensuring complete verb phrases in your comparisons will help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.