Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20

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 6.5)

The line graph compares average carbon dioxide emissions per person in 4 countries that is United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal.

Overall, it is evident that United Kingdom had the highest co2 emissions while Portugal accounted for the lowest amount at the beginning of the period. Co2 emission for Italy surged significantly while Sweden rose over a period of 10 years then plummeted.

In 1967, the total CO2 emissions per person in United Kingdom was the highest at around 11 metric tonnes but over the years the figures went down to around 9 metric tonnes by 2007. Similarly, Sweden's emissions per person was at around 9 metric tonnes and it soar to around 10.4 metric tones by 1977 after which the figures diminished drastically to around 5.5 metric tonnes in 2007.

Portugal had the lowest emissions per person at the beginning of the period at around 1 metric tonne per person but the figures rose progressively to about 5.3 metric tonnes in 1997 and the figures begun experiencing slight change. Italy on the other hand experienced a progressive rise over the period from around 4.3 metric tonnes in 1967 to about 7.9 in 1997 where it begun leveling off until 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the graph, including the overall trends and key data points for the four countries. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with specific figures from the graph. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise; for instance, while you noted the UK had the highest emissions, you could have more explicitly contrasted this with the significant growth seen in Portugal. The data is accurately reported, and the response covers all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the information effectively. You used cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'on the other hand', and 'at the beginning of the period' to guide the reader. The progression of ideas is clear throughout the text. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences are even smoother to avoid a slightly mechanical feel in some places, and check for minor punctuation errors, such as the missing comma after introductory phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a data-description task, using terms like 'surged', 'plummeted', 'diminished drastically', and 'leveling off'. These choices show an awareness of style and precision. There are a few minor errors, such as 'soar' (should be 'soared') and 'begun' (should be 'began'), which are grammatical in nature but affect the lexical accuracy. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly and with some variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical slips, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('United Kingdom had' vs 'the United Kingdom had') and tense inconsistencies ('figures begun' instead of 'began'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent verb tenses when describing past data and ensuring correct article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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