Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-02

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 presents the mean of carbon dioxide emissions per capita in four regions: United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and portugal between 1967 to 2007.

Overall, Sweden experienced a drastic fall in CO2 emissons whereas Italy and Portugal had a steady increase throughout the period and United Kingdom also demonstarted a slight drop in its figures.

Three out of four countries namely Sweden, Italy and Portugal were on the rise in the initial phase, thereafter Italy and Portugal maintained their pace reaching approximately 6.7 and 3.5 metric tonnes per person respectively in 1987, while Sweden experienced a steep drop from being over 10 metric tonnes in 1977 to around 7 metric tonnes in 1987.

On one hand, after reaching the 7 metric tonnes mark, Sweden experienced a further steady reduction in its per capita CO2 emissions reaching near to 5.5 metric tonnes. United Kingdom, on the other hand, was experiencing a gradual decline in per person carbon dioxide emissions throughout the period with having nearly 11 metric tonnes of emissions in 1967 to a little over 8.7 metric tonnes in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an adequate overview and highlighting key trends and comparisons among the four countries. You selected relevant features, such as the overall downward trajectory of the UK and Sweden versus the upward trends for Italy and Portugal. However, some aspects of your reporting lack full development or precision; for instance, the overview incorrectly states that Sweden experienced a drastic fall throughout the period, whereas Sweden actually rose significantly between 1967 and 1977 before declining. This slight misinterpretation of the trajectory prevents the response from achieving a higher band. To reach the next level, ensure that overall trends accurately capture the entirety of the timeline rather than focusing solely on the latter half of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction to the overview and body paragraphs. You make good use of cohesive devices to structure your comparisons, such as 'On one hand', 'United Kingdom, on the other hand', and 'thereafter'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related ideas, separating the initial phase and general movements from the subsequent detailed trends. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical or formulaic, and referencing could be smoother. To improve further, integrate cohesive links more naturally without relying on standard transitional phrases that can sometimes draw attention to themselves, ensuring seamless logical flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'per capita', 'drastic fall', and 'gradual decline'. Communication is clear despite some minor word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as the lowercase 'portugal' in the introduction and the spelling error 'emissons'. Additionally, phrases like 'maintaining their pace' could be expressed with greater precision. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features of the chart, but to move higher, you need to use a wider variety of less common vocabulary with greater precision, style, and flawless spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating subordinate clauses and comparative structures effectively, such as in the sentence 'while Sweden experienced a steep drop from being over 10 metric tonnes in 1977 to around 7 metric tonnes in 1987.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('the United Kingdom' in the opening sentence) and slight structural awkwardness like 'with having nearly 11 metric tonnes'. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, which aligns well with the expected standard. To improve, focus on eliminating minor preposition and article errors and enhance control over more complex grammatical patterns.

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