Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-19

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 6.5)

The line graph gives information about the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007. Units are measured in metric tonnes.

Overall, the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the the Italy and Portugal showed a steady but significant rise over the period, while the percentage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the United Kingdom experienced a downward trend.

To begin with, regarding United Kingdom, the carbon dioxide emissions stayed around at 11 metric tonnes in 1967. After the next 20 years, emissions declined slightly to approximately 10 metric tonnes in 1987. Over the following 20 years, emissions decreased modestly to nearly 9 metric tonnes in 2007. Moving on to Sweden, carbon dioxide emissions stayed at around 8.6 metric tonnes in 1967. Over the next 10 years, emissions rocketed sharply around to 10.3 metric tonnes in 1977. After that, emissions dropped dramatically approximately to 7 metric tonnes in 1987. After the next 20 years, emissions dipped modestly to 5.3 metric tonnes in 2007.

Moving on to Italy, carbon dioxide emissions stayed at around 4.2 metric tonnes in 1967. Over the next 30 years, emissions increased steadily to reach around 7.8 metric tonnes in 1997. After that, the emissions remained stable at roughly 7.8 metric tonnes up to 2007. Finally, regarding Portugal, carbon dioxide emissions stayed at a low level of around 1.2 metric tonnes in 1967. Over the next 30 years, emissions grew continuously to reach approximately 5.3 metric tonnes in 1997. After that, the emissions leveled off and reached around 5.5 metric tonnes by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear and accurate overview of the main trends shown in the graph. The data cited throughout the response, such as the UK starting at approximately 11 metric tonnes in 1967 and falling to 8.7 metric tonnes in 2007, accurately reflects the provided visual data. Key features, such as the opposing trajectories of the UK/Sweden versus Italy/Portugal, are effectively highlighted and supported with relevant figures. The response is fully developed and well-rounded, meeting all requirements for Task Achievement at a high level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression from an introduction and overview to detailed body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group information by country. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'Moving on to', and 'After that' are utilized effectively to guide the reader through the data, although some transitions feel slightly formulaic. Referencing and substitution are generally well managed, ensuring that the relationships between ideas remain clear throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suited to a visual task, employing appropriate reporting terms such as 'downward trend', 'declined slightly', 'rocketed sharply', and 'leveled off'. However, there are occasional minor inaccuracies in word choice or phrasing, such as referring to 'the percentage of carbon dioxide' rather than 'emissions' in the overview, and minor awkwardness like 'stayed around at'. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate to convey precise trends with good clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively to report data trends. There is good control over tense usage (past simple for historical data). However, there are a few noticeable grammatical slips and clumsy phrasings, such as 'the average carbon dioxide emissions of the the Italy and Portugal' (repetition of 'the', incorrect article with a country name) and prepositions like 'stayed around at'. Despite these minor errors, the majority of sentences are clear and do not impede communication.

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