Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-03

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 illustrates the median release of carbon dioxide from humans across 4 european nations over a period of 4 decades from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, united kindom had the highest emission per person across the four countries but a gradual decrease can be observed. Portugal ranks the lowest among the provided countries however the CO2 emission had increased over the decades.

The Uk started with the highest median co2 release per person in 1967 at 11 metric tonnes and it has remained the leading country over a period of 4 decades. However the graph shows a steady decline and in 2007 the emissions were around 9 metric tonnes. Sweden started at no.2 in terms of release at 8.5 metric tonnes.It then experienced an abrupt rise in the following decade peaking just over 10 metric tonnes.Since then there was a sharp decrease and in 2007 sweden ranked lower than UK and even Italy with 5 metric tonnes of emission.

Italy was third on the list of maximum emissions with 4 metric tonnes and has been increasing over the entire course. in 2007 italy ranked among the top two in emissions just below the Uk. Portugal started with average of 1 metric tonnes, the lowest recorded in the entire timeline.Since 1967 it saw a gradual increase in the Co2 released into the atmosphere.One significant observation came during 2007 where the carbon dioxide released in portugal was equal to italy Co2 emissions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main features of the line graph. You selected relevant data points and made appropriate comparisons between the four countries, such as noting that the United Kingdom maintained the highest emissions throughout the period while Portugal started at the lowest. The general trends are correctly identified, and your overview captures the contrasting trajectories of the nations. However, to reach a higher band, some ideas could be extended further with more precise data integration, and you should ensure that figures are cited with greater accuracy, such as noting that Portugal and Italy actually converged in 2007 rather than stating Portugal equaled Italy's emissions through a misread of the scale.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The report has a clear overall progression and is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction and an overview, followed by detailed body paragraphs for each country. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'In 2007'. While the internal structure of paragraphs is mostly clear, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the transitional links between sentences could be smoother to achieve a more seamless flow. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but ensuring better logical ties between the overview and the body paragraphs would elevate the organisational control.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

An adequate range of vocabulary is employed for the task, with attempts to use less common items such as 'median release', 'abrupt rise', and 'steady decline'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as referring to carbon dioxide emissions as 'release of carbon dioxide from humans', and minor spelling and capitalization errors like 'united kindom' and 'uk'. While communication is never impeded, these occasional slips and slightly imprecise terms prevent the lexical range from achieving higher precision and flexibility. Strengthening your control over academic collocations and proper nouns will significantly improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used effectively throughout the text, demonstrating control over structures such as subordinate clauses with 'although' or 'while'. You successfully employed past tense forms and time markers to describe historical data accurately. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles (e.g., 'in 2007 italy ranked among the top two'), minor subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'average of 1 metric tonnes'), and lack of capitalization at the beginning of sentences. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the majority of your complex structures to remain clear and understandable.

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