Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-13

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 illustrates how much carbon dioxide is emitted per individual on average in four different countries between 1967 and 2007.

Overall, United Kingdom reported the highest figure for emissions and despite experiencing a marginal decline, it remained the largest polluter. Sweden saw the biggest fall, while Italy and Portugal increased steadily over the period.

In detail, United kingdom started at over 11 tonnes and had a marginal decline, hitting the lowest in 2007, at approximately 9 tonnes. Similarly, over 8 tones of carbon dioxide was released in Sweden in 1967 before it peaked in 1977, reaching over 10 tonnes and then plummeting to 7 tonnes in 1997 and hitting its lowest in 2007 in 2007.

Italy accounted for over 4 tonnes of the emission in 1967 and it continued to steadily rise until 1997 before hitting a plateau. Similar to Italy, Portugal started at over 1 tonnes of dioxide and the number rose continuously until 1997 at over 5 tonnes before leveling off.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the graph, including the overall trends and specific data points for the four countries. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the UK's decline and the steady increases for Italy and Portugal. However, the overview could be more precise; while you mention the UK was the highest, you could have contrasted this more effectively with the overall upward or downward trajectories of the other nations. The data selection is generally accurate, though the description of the UK's trend as 'hitting the lowest in 2007' is a bit repetitive. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a clear summary of the main features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the general overview to specific details. You use cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'In detail', and 'Overall' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the final sentence of the third paragraph repeats 'in 2007' twice, which disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends, contributing to a coherent structure throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly, using terms like 'marginal decline', 'plummeting', 'accounted for', and 'plateau'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'over 1 tonnes' (should be 'tonne') and 'dioxide' (which is incomplete without 'carbon'). While the range is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. The vocabulary is functional and precise enough to communicate the trends effectively, but incorporating more varied synonyms for 'increase' or 'decrease' would enhance the lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'United kingdom' (needs capitalization), 'over 8 tones' (spelling error for 'tonnes'), and 'over 1 tonnes' (subject-verb agreement/pluralization error). Additionally, the phrase 'hitting its lowest in 2007 in 2007' contains a redundant repetition. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent capitalization of proper nouns.

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