Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-03

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 following graph depicts the information about the average carbon dioxide emissions per person in four different countries across the years from 1967 to 2007.Here the units used for the emission are metric tonnes.

In the starting year countries like United Kingdom and Sweden were having high average of co2 emissions per person around 11 and 9 respectively, whereas countries including Italy and Portugal were having low average around 4 and 1.Over the time period Italy and Portugal report to have increase in the average emission of co2 continuosly and reached 8 and 5 approximately. While in United Kingdom the number of average emission kept on reducing till the year 2007 and reached about 7.Moreover Sweden was the only country in which firstly the average increased around 10 in the year 1977 and then start reducing to 5 till the year 2007.

Overall, Italy, Portugal and United Kingdom follows a continuous pattern around the period of 50 years and Sweden experienced a spike of increase first and then reduced to lower average.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the graph, including the starting points, trends, and final values for all four countries. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the steady increase in Italy and Portugal and the decline in the UK. However, the overview is slightly weak; while it mentions the general patterns, it could be more analytical by highlighting the most significant contrast, such as the UK starting as the highest emitter and ending lower than Italy. The data points are generally accurate, though the description of Sweden's trend could be more precise regarding the specific years of change.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, body paragraphs, and an overview. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the initial state to the trends over time. You use some cohesive devices like 'In the starting year', 'Over the time period', and 'Moreover', which help the flow. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by separating the trends more distinctly. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to avoid a list-like feel.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'emissions', 'metric tonnes', and 'continuous pattern'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the use of 'average' and 'increase'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'report to have increase' instead of 'reported an increase' and 'kept on reducing' which is slightly informal. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied verbs and nouns to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'downward trend'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For instance, 'countries like United Kingdom and Sweden were having' should be 'the United Kingdom and Sweden had'. There are also issues with articles (e.g., 'in the year 1977') and verb tenses (e.g., 'start reducing' instead of 'started to reduce'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.

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