Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-15

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 line graph delineates the carbon dioxide release by one person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007. Overall, it is apparent that carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere dropped steadily in UK and Sweden, while in Portugal and Italy the carbon emission increased with the passage of time.

To begin with, the carbon dioxide emission in United Kingdom was slightly above the 10 metric tonnes in 1967 and dropped slightly with the time duration and reached nearly 8 metric tonnes in 2007. In addition, the amount of carbon dioxide release was just above 8 metric tonnes in 1967 and then increased drastically to nearly 10 metric tonnes in 1977. However, after the 1977 the rate of carbon emission plumeted to approximately 5 metric tonnes in 2007 in Sweden.

In contrast, the amount of carbon dioxide was at 1 metric tonnes in 1967 after that the rate carbon dioxide surged to 5 metric in 2007 in Portugal. Furthermore, the rate of carbon emission was higher than other countries in 1967 and then increased to just under 8 metric tonnes in 1997 and remained same for one decade in Italy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main broad pattern: emissions fall in the UK and Sweden, while they rise in Italy and Portugal. Several key details are also reported accurately, including the UK’s high starting point, Sweden’s peak in 1977, and Italy’s levelling off after 1997. However, the overview is not fully precise: Italy and Portugal rise overall, but Italy does not increase throughout, since it levels off at the end. Some figures are also understated or imprecise: the UK finishes at about 8.7 tonnes, not nearly 8, and Portugal reaches about 5.4, rather than 5. The comparison that Italy was higher than the other countries in 1967 is inaccurate; the UK was highest. Selecting and reporting these features more precisely would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement, with an introduction and overview followed by paragraphs describing the countries. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” and “In contrast” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, the grouping and transitions are not always logical: the second body paragraph begins with Portugal but then shifts to Italy, while the first combines the UK and Sweden without clearly marking the change between them. “In addition” also introduces Sweden without making the relationship to the UK especially clear. A more consistent structure—one paragraph for the declining countries and one for the rising countries, with clear comparisons within each—would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “dropped steadily,” “increased drastically,” “plumeted,” and “remained same.” This shows an attempt to use more than basic terms, and the intended meaning is generally clear. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for this chart, however: “carbon dioxide release by one person” and “carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere” are less direct than describing per-person emissions, while “with the passage of time” is unnecessarily wordy. There are also spelling and form issues, notably “plumeted” and “remained same.” Greater control of collocations and accurate spelling would make the vocabulary more precise and natural, while retaining the useful range already attempted.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while,” “after,” and “that.” Most sentences communicate the intended trends, and the overall meaning remains clear. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly with articles, plurals, and sentence construction. For example, “in United Kingdom” needs an article, “1 metric tonnes” has a number–noun agreement error, and “after that the rate carbon dioxide surged” is missing a grammatical link and a possessive or prepositional construction. “Remained same” also needs an article. To improve, check noun phrases and sentence boundaries carefully, and aim to express each trend in a complete, accurately formed sentence.

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