Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 depicts the average carbon dioxide emissions per person among for different countries namely the Great Britain, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, the United Kingdom reflected the highest CO2 emission per person in given years. While, Portugal had the least number of Carbon Dioxide emission.

To begin with, the United Kingdom had around 11 metric ton CO2 emission in 1967 which remained stable for a decade. Then it started decreasing slowly till 2007 and ended at approximate 9 matric ton emission. However, Sweden accounted around 9 metric ton emission of carbon which initially grown sharply during first decade. Then, the count fell to 7 metric ton of CO2 emission in 1987. After 1987, the number is still decreasing moderately till 2007 and reached at around 5.5 metric ton.

On the other hand, Italy and Portugal had shown similar type of growth. Both had started from very lower emission rate. which is roughly 4.2 and approximately 1.2 metric ton respectively. After that, both had shown steady uptrend. Italy had crossed the CO2 emission with Sweden in 1987 and reached at around 7.8 metric ton emission in 1997. which remained same for the other decade. While, Portugal's Carbon Dioxide emission average rate also rose steadily and ended at the same average rate of Italy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all requirements of the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons. You successfully highlighted the overall downward trend for the UK and Sweden, and the upward trend for Italy and Portugal. However, the analysis could be improved by being more precise with data points. For instance, stating the UK remained 'stable for a decade' is a good observation, but some figures are slightly inaccurate based on the graph (e.g., the UK starting point is closer to 11, but your description of the end point as 9 is acceptable). To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are clearly linked to the specific years provided in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are instances where sentence structure affects flow, such as the fragmented sentence 'which is roughly 4.2 and approximately 1.2 metric ton respectively.' Improving the use of referencing and ensuring that sentences are complete will help achieve a more natural flow and better cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted', 'steady uptrend', and 'moderately'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the count fell' (referring to emissions) and 'grown sharply' (should be 'grew'). Additionally, there are minor errors like 'matric ton' instead of 'metric ton'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure consistent spelling of technical terms. The range is sufficient to convey the main features, but lacks the flexibility required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the Great Britain', 'the United Kingdom') and verb tenses ('had shown', 'had started'). Some sentences are punctuated incorrectly, such as starting a new sentence with 'which' or 'that'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and avoiding sentence fragments will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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