Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-01

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 graph illustrates the average carbon dioxide emissions in metric heads per head in United Kingdom,Sweden,Italy and Portugal between the years 1967 and 2007.The United Kingdom had the highest rates while Portugal shows increasing levels all through the years.

As seen,between the years 1967 and 1977 the levels of carbon release in the United Kingdom was at constant rates then it gradually declined between the years 1977 to 2007.On the other hand,for Sweden there has been a steady increase in the years 1967 and 1977 then a sudden decline is experienced as at 1977 and 1987.From there a further drop is seen from 1987 to 2007.

Also,Italy is showing a progressive rise from 1967 to 1977 then a shallow decline is evidenced at around 1977 to 1987,a steady rise is also noticed from 1987 to 1997 the the levels get to a constant from 1997 all through to 2007.for Portugal it has experienced a rise all through the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting and reporting the main features of the chart, such as the UK having the highest emissions and Portugal experiencing an upward trend. An overview is provided near the beginning. However, certain parts are under-developed or inaccurately described. For instance, the text states that UK emissions were 'at constant rates' between 1967 and 1977, whereas the data shows a slight decrease from 10.8 to 10.7, and Sweden's peak in 1977 is described confusingly. Nevertheless, the main trends for all four countries are covered, placing the response appropriately at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents an overall coherent arrangement where information is organized chronologically by country. Paragraphing is attempted, though the second and third paragraphs could be better structured for clearer grouping. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'As seen', 'On the other hand', and 'Also', but referencing and transitions can be mechanical or repetitive. For example, sentences are sometimes fused together without proper spacing or punctuation (e.g., '1997 all through to 2007.for Portugal'), which creates occasional disruptions in the flow of reading.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting less common terms like 'gradually declined', 'steady increase', and 'progressive rise'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and odd word choices, such as 'metric heads per head' instead of metric tonnes per person, and 'carbon release' instead of carbon emissions. Spelling and word-choice errors do occur, such as spacing and punctuation issues ('Sweden,Italy', '1987 to 1997 the the levels'), but they do not seriously impede overall communication, reflecting a sufficient range for a basic score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as introductory prepositional phrases ('between the years 1967 and 1977') and subordinate clauses. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors present, including missing spaces after commas and periods, tense inconsistencies (e.g., 'Italy is showing... then a shallow decline is evidenced'), and article omissions (e.g., 'for Portugal it has experienced'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains mostly clear and they rarely impede communication, aligning well with the expected mix of structures at this level.

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