Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

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 given illustrates the how much carbon dioxide emission each person accounted for in United Kingdom, Sweden, Itlay and Portugal over a period given from 1967 to 2007. Figures are calculated in metric tonnes.

Overall,United Kingdom showed highest numbers in given period even with downward trend, Itlay and Portugal were lowest but showed rising values in contrast to Sweden that fluctuated initially then showed downward trend.

United Kingdom strated with its peak of almost 11 metric tonnes in 1967 then gradually declined over the period given until reached its lowest value of nealry 9 metric tonnes in 2007. Sweden accounted for nearly 9 metric tonnes at start of period before reaching its peak of above 10 metric tonnes in 1977 then declined considerably reaching to its lowest in 2007 of above 5 tonnes.

In contrast Ital and Portugal came up with gradual increase in emissions over the time starting with almost 4 and 1 tonnes respectively then reaching to their peak of slight below 8 and 6 tonnes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main overall patterns: the UK remained the highest-emitting country while declining, Sweden rose to a peak before falling, and Italy and Portugal increased. It also supports these points with approximate starting and ending figures, which are broadly consistent with the graph. The comparison between Italy and Portugal is less precise: both rose, but Italy levelled off at about 7.6 tonnes from 1997 to 2007, whereas Portugal continued rising to around 5.4 tonnes. The statement that Italy and Portugal “were lowest” is also too broad for the whole period, since Italy overtook Sweden by 1997. More explicit comparisons at the end would make the selected features better supported and avoid over-generalisation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. Its progression is easy to follow: the UK and Sweden are described first, followed by Italy and Portugal. Linking expressions such as “Overall” and “In contrast” help signal the relationships between the sections, and the country-by-country grouping is appropriate for this graph. Some connections could be more precise, however. For example, “Itlay and Portugal were lowest” does not clearly establish when they were lowest, and the final paragraph groups two different patterns together without highlighting Italy’s plateau or Portugal’s continued rise. More explicit time references and comparisons would make the progression more informative and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “downward trend,” “declined considerably,” “gradually increase” and “peak.” These choices communicate the main movements in the graph, and terms such as “metric tonnes” suit the task. However, several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “Itlay,” “strated,” “nealry” and “came up with gradual increase.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “showed highest numbers” and “reaching to their peak.” Aim for accurate spelling and conventional chart language, for example “recorded the highest emissions,” “rose steadily” and “reached a peak.” This would make the vocabulary more controlled and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence structure, including complex clauses such as “even with downward trend” and “before reaching its peak,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors occur frequently enough to limit grammatical control. The opening has an unnecessary construction in “illustrates the how much,” while “in United Kingdom” and “until reached its lowest value” show problems with articles and clause structure. The overview also needs clearer sentence boundaries and punctuation after “Overall,” and the final sentence lacks an article in “with gradual increase.” Practise building accurate comparisons and clauses, such as “The UK started at nearly 11 tonnes and then declined to around 9 tonnes.” Greater accuracy across these patterns would strengthen the response.

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