Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-30

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 bar graph illustrates average carbon dioxide emissions per individual in four countries United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal through the year of 1967 and 2007.

Overall, the UK had the highest level of CO2 emissions throughout the period, although its figure diclined gradually. Sweden also experienced a substantial decrease after reaching a peak in 1977. In contrast, emissions in Italy and Portugal increase steadily, with Italy becoming the second-highest emitter by the end of the period.

In 1967, the UK produced approximately 10.8 tonnes of CO2 per person, compared with about 8.7 tonnes in Sweden. The UK figure remined relatively stable until 1977, when it stood at around 10.6 tonns,before falling gradually to approximately 8.7 tonnes in 2007. Sweden , meanwile rose to just over 10 tonnes in 1977, but its emission then dropped sharply to about 7 tonnes in 1987 and continued declining to roughly 5.5 tonnes by 2007.

Italy followed a very different trend. Its emissions increased from approximately 4.3 tonnes per person in 1967 to around 6.3 tonnes in 1977, and then rose steadily to about 7.7 tonnes in 1997, where they remained until 2007. Prtugal recorded the lowest figures initially , at inly about 1.2 tonnes, but its emissions increased consistently, reaching approximately 5.4 tonnes per person by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main trends and making relevant comparisons across the four countries over the 40-year period. However, there is a minor task type misidentification in the introduction, where the student refers to the chart as a 'bar graph' rather than a 'line graph'. Despite this slip, the overview is clear and well-formulated, highlighting the UK's decreasing emissions, Sweden's peak and subsequent drop, and the steady increases in Italy and Portugal. Key data points are accurately cited, such as the UK starting at 10.8 tonnes and ending at 8.7 tonnes, and Portugal rising from 1.2 to 5.4 tonnes. The response meets all requirements for a solid band 7 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped effectively, with an introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and two body paragraphs dedicated to contrasting country trends. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'compared with', and 'meanwhile'. Paragraphing is appropriate and separates the overview from the detailed body data. However, minor mechanical slips in cohesion and referencing, alongside some slight awkwardness in paragraph transitions, keep this criterion at a band 7 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items and phrases are attempted with varying degrees of success, such as 'gradually', 'substantial decrease', 'relatively stable', and 'rose steadily'. There are a few spelling and typographical errors throughout the text, including 'diclined' (declined), 'remined' (remined/remained), 'tonns' (tonnes), 'meanwile' (meanwhile), and 'Prtugal' / 'inly' (Portugal / only). These minor slips prevent the lexical score from reaching higher, but the vocabulary is fully sufficient to communicate the data effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses, comparative structures, and introductory prepositional phrases. There is good control over many complex structures, particularly when reporting temporal changes ('while its emission then dropped sharply...'). However, occasional grammatical errors and typographical issues occur, such as subject-verb agreement or tense inconsistencies ('emissions in Italy and Portugal increase steadily'). Punctuation has a few minor flaws, like spacing errors around commas. Nevertheless, there are frequent error-free sentences, supporting a band 7 score.

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