Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-18

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 the average rate of carbon dioxide emissions per head in the UK, Sweden ,Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Overall, the emissions rate of carbon dioxide slowly decreased in United Kingdom . While in Sweden over the time it gradually dropped .However Italy recorded the highest emissions in between four countries. Whereas Portugal reached the second largest of co2 emissions .

In detail, in 1967 United kingdom had reached emissions to above 10 tones and stay constant for next ten years . Whereas it slightly declined to perfect 10 tones in 1987. In the next ten years it reduced steadily to below 10 tones emissions and in 2007 it went down to near 8 tones.

In Sweden, it was above 8 tones of co2 emissions in 1967 . However it marginally rose to above 10 tones in the next ten years. While suddenly it dropped to below 8 tones of emissions in 1987. In the next ten years the emissions was decreased to near 6 tones. In the last year it dropped marginally below 6 tones of co2 emissions.

In Italy, in the first year it was figured above 4 tones of emissions, While jumped and reached above the 6 tones in next ten years. Whereas the emissions level fluctuated for next twenty years and reached near the 8 tones emissions rate. However the level of co2 emissions show no change in the last year.

In Portugal, the emissions rate was maintain the climbed level from the year 1967 to 1987 and crossed above 4 tones emissions. While in 1997 it reached the highest point nearly 5 tones, then it level off for the next ten years of emissions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. However, there are significant inaccuracies in your reporting of the figures. For example, you state that Italy recorded the highest emissions, whereas the graph clearly shows the UK and Sweden starting at higher levels and remaining above Italy for much of the period. Additionally, your description of Portugal as having the 'second largest' emissions is incorrect, as it consistently remains the lowest of the four. While you cover all countries, the lack of accuracy in interpreting the data points prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your text with the visual data to avoid misrepresenting the trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with each country discussed in its own section. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical and sometimes misused. For instance, the transition 'While suddenly it dropped' is awkward, and the use of 'Whereas' at the start of sentences is repetitive and occasionally grammatically incorrect. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the flow feel somewhat disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of transition signals and ensure they are used to connect ideas naturally rather than just starting new sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'steadily', 'fluctuated', and 'level off'. However, there are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'rate of carbon dioxide emissions per head' (should be 'per capita'), 'figured above' (should be 'recorded' or 'stood at'), and 'tones' (the correct spelling is 'tonnes'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for data reporting and ensure you are using standard collocations for describing graphs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include incorrect article usage (e.g., 'in United kingdom'), subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the emissions was decreased'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'the emissions rate was maintain the climbed level'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the response. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your accuracy.

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