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 below shows average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Overall two countries had a control over carbon dioxide emission while in two countries it increased.UK and Sweden had a decrease in emission.While Italy and Portugal had a increase in average carbon dioxide emission per person.

In 1967,UK and Sweden suffered with high carbon dioxide emission .UK had 11 metric tonnes of emission per person but over time it got controlled and by year 2007 it came to 9 metric tonnes.Whereas Sweden initially had 9 metric tonnes in 1967 then again rose to 10.5 metric tonnes by 1977.later they controlled the emission to 5 metric tonnes by 2007.

Initially Italy and Portugal suffered the least. Portugal started with 1 metric tonne of emission per person in 1967 later this rose up to 5.3 metric tonnes of emission by year 2007.While Italy had 4.2 metric tonnes in 1967 which increased to 5.3 metric tonnes by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall contrast: emissions fell in the UK and Sweden, while they rose in Italy and Portugal. The country-by-country figures are mostly consistent with the graph, including the UK’s decline and Sweden’s peak around 1977. However, some important comparisons are underdeveloped or unclear. In particular, Italy rose to about 7.6 tonnes by 1997 and then remained level, but your account says it reached only 5.3 tonnes in 2007, which substantially misrepresents its trend. The overview also says two countries “had a control,” an unclear description rather than a precise summary of the trends. Include Italy’s plateau and compare the countries’ final levels to make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs covering the higher- and lower-emitting countries. This makes the information easy to follow at a basic level. Some linking is effective, such as “Whereas” and “Initially,” but connections are sometimes mechanical or unclear. For example, “Overall two countries had a control … while in two countries it increased” is difficult to interpret, and “While Italy had…” begins a sentence fragment after the Portugal sentence. Punctuation and spacing also interrupt the flow, as in “increased.UK” and “1967,UK.” Use clearer transitions and ensure each comparison forms a complete sentence; grouping figures by trend would also strengthen progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “per person,” “metric tonnes,” “increased,” and “decrease,” so the reader can understand the subject and broad trends. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph. “Had a control over carbon dioxide emission” and “suffered with high carbon dioxide emission” suggest control or suffering rather than simply reporting levels. “Got controlled” is also not a natural way to describe a decline. Repetition of “emission” and “metric tonnes” limits the range, while singular “emission” is used where the plural is more appropriate. Aim for precise trend language such as “fell,” “rose,” “peaked,” and “remained stable,” and use natural collocations like “emissions per capita.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer comparisons, and the main meaning is generally understandable. Some sentence patterns are controlled, for example, “UK had 11 metric tonnes … but over time it got controlled.” However, errors in articles, agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation recur. Examples include “a increase” instead of “an increase,” “two countries … it increased” where the pronoun does not agree with the plural subject, and “While Italy had…” used as a fragment. Several sentences also omit spaces after commas or full stops. Use complete clauses, check singular and plural agreement, and punctuate comparisons carefully. More accurate complex sentences would help you express changes over time without sacrificing clarity.

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