Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-19

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 line graph illustrates average CO2 emissions per capita in four countries from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the amount of CO2 decreased slowly throughout the given period in the UK. In Sweden, the CO2 emissions rose initially, before declining sharply by the end of the period. In Italy and Portugal, this number kept rising steadily throughout the given period. The UK remained the country producing the highest levels of CO2 emissions.

In 1967, the UK recorded approximately 10.8 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions. From 1967 onwards, this figure continued to decline gradually, reaching almost 10 metric tonnes in 1987, and nearly 8.5 metric tonnes in 2007. Sweden stood at 8 metric tonnes in 1967, before peaking at around 10.2 metric tonnes in 1977, and dropping sharply at almost 7 metric tonnes in 1987. I continued to drop constantly, reaching approximately 5.6 metric tonnes in 2007.

Italy recorded almost 3.9 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide output in 1967. It increased significantly reaching 7.6 metric tonnes in 1997 and then remain unchanged by the end of the period. Similarly, Portugal amounted to around 1 metric tonne in 1967, rising consistently to almost 2 metric tonnes in 1977, and 3 metric tonnes in 1987. It grew substantially reaching almost 5 metric tonnes in 1997 before peaking at approximately 5.3 metric tonnes in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends for all four countries and provided relevant data points to support your descriptions. The overview is clear and highlights the key differences between the countries, such as the UK's downward trend versus the steady increases in Italy and Portugal. You successfully made comparisons, such as noting the UK remained the highest emitter throughout the period. The information is accurate and well-selected, providing a comprehensive summary of the graph's data without unnecessary detail.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, a concise overview, and two body paragraphs that group the countries effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used a range of cohesive devices such as 'similarly', 'from 1967 onwards', and 'before peaking at' to link information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends. The referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the UK/Sweden paragraph and the Italy/Portugal paragraph could be slightly more refined to enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for describing trends, such as 'declining sharply', 'rising steadily', 'peaking', and 'remained unchanged'. The use of 'metric tonnes' and 'per capita' shows an awareness of the subject matter. There is one minor typo ('I continued to drop' instead of 'It'), but this does not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to avoid slight repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over tense usage (past simple for historical data) is consistent. There are a few minor slips, such as 'remain unchanged' (should be 'remained') and the aforementioned 'I' instead of 'It'. However, these are rare and do not affect the clarity of the report. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety is sufficient to maintain reader interest throughout the response.

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