Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-06

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 average emissions of carbon dioxide by individals in four countries- the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal. Data showcased in the line graph is from year [redacted phone] and carbon dioxide emissions per person is measured in metric tonnes.

Overall, emissions of carbon dioxide per person rose steadily in Italy and Portugal, but in countries like the United Kingdom and Sweden there was a steady decline in emissions of carbon dioxide.

It is evident that in the United Kingdom the CO2 emissions decreased from 11 metric tonnes to almost 8 metric tonnes. Similarly, in Sweden emissions per person rose from 8 to 10 metric tonnes in year 1977 but afterwards it plummeted to about 5 metric tonnes in 2007. In contrast, Portugal started from 1 metric tonnes and dramaticaly increased to 5 metric tonnes, along with that Italy also saw upward flucation in carbon emissions approximately till 7 metric tonnes but was stable from year 1997 to 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview of the trends and reporting the main features of the chart, such as the overall decrease in the UK and Sweden alongside the increases in Italy and Portugal. However, some aspects of the response are under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, stating that Portugal started from 1 metric tonne is slightly rounded, and the overall description could benefit from a more thorough comparison of the figures across all four nations. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure that key data points are stated with greater precision and that the overview clearly captures all notable contrasting trends without glossing over specific fluctuations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph detailing the specific trends. Information is logically sequenced, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, cohesion at times feels a bit mechanical or basic, relying on standard transitional phrases like 'It is evident that' and 'In contrast' without fully mastering subtler referencing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data points, but to achieve a higher band, the student needs to integrate cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that the links between sentences highlight the relationships between the data more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common items and descriptive verbs such as 'plummeted', 'dramaticaly', and 'flucation'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors that slightly detract from the response, including the misspelling of 'individals', 'dramaticaly', and 'flucation', as well as minor lexical slips like 'upward flucation'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher score. To improve, the student must pay closer attention to spelling accuracy and select precise collocational phrasing when describing statistical trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. There are several error-free sentences, and the grammar and punctuation used rarely impede communication. Nevertheless, minor errors persist, such as article omissions and preposition issues, including 'from year 1967-2007' instead of 'from 1967 to 2007' and 'in year 1977'. To move up to the next band, the student should aim to reduce these recurring grammatical lapses and incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex sentence structures to demonstrate superior control over grammar and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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