Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-16

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 carbon dioxide emissions in metric tonnes in four different countries over a period of four decades.

Overall,what stands out from the graph is that the United Kingdom and Sweden saw a considerable decrease in CO2 emissions per person during given period.While ,in contrast, in Italy and Portugal ,CO2 emissions were increased during every decade.

In 1967,just over 10 metric tones of CO2 emissions were recorded in the United Kingdom.After 1967,the Uk saw a considerable decrease in CO2 emissions, and had reached its lowest which was almost 8 metric tones in 2007.In Sweden,around 9 metric tones of CO2 emissions were recorded in 1967.Sweden had reached its highest peak in 1977, and again dropped and had reached almost 5 metric tones of emissions in 2007.

In Italy,in 1967,nearly 4 metric tones of CO2 emissions were recorded.There was a slight rise in these and became almost 8 metric tones in 1997 and then levelled off until 2007.While in Portugal,in 1967,around 1 and a half metric tones of emissions were recorded per person.There was a considerable increase in this until 1997 and then levelled off just like in Italy in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main overall contrast accurately: emissions fell in the UK and Sweden, while they rose in Italy and Portugal. The country-by-country details are also generally grounded in the graph, including Sweden’s 1977 peak and the later levelling off in Italy and Portugal. This gives the report a clear overview and relevant supporting comparisons. Some details are less precise: the UK’s 2007 figure is closer to 8.7 tonnes than “almost 8,” and Portugal’s 1997-to-2007 plateau is not stated explicitly, although “levelled off” suggests it. Also, Italy’s increase was gradual rather than merely “slight.” More precise figures and clearer comparisons of the final rankings would make the account more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence: an introduction, an overview, and then paragraphs describing the declining and rising country trends. This makes the main information easy to follow, and phrases such as “In contrast” help signal the central comparison. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or disrupted by punctuation and spacing, as in “Overall,what stands out” and “While ,in contrast”. The repeated openings “In 1967” and “There was” also make the country descriptions feel list-like. The final sentence groups Portugal with Italy, but the comparison could be clearer by explicitly stating that both levelled off while Portugal remained below Italy. More varied linking and cleaner paragraph-level connections would strengthen progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “emissions,” “considerable decrease,” “highest peak,” and “levelled off,” and the meaning remains clear. There are, however, some inaccurate or awkward choices that limit precision. “Metric tones” is a spelling error for “metric tonnes,” while “emissions were increased” is an unnatural construction for describing a trend. “Reached its lowest” is incomplete without a noun such as “level,” and “slight rise” understates Italy’s substantial increase from about 4.3 to 7.6 tonnes. Aim for accurate collocations and use trend vocabulary that reflects the scale of the change. This will make the report more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including the contrast between countries and clauses describing changes over time. Most of the information is understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, “Italy and Portugal, CO2 emissions were increased” uses an incorrect passive form; write “emissions increased.” In “had reached its lowest,” the sentence needs a noun such as “level,” and “during given period” needs an article (“during the given period”). Commas and spaces are also inconsistently placed, particularly around “Overall” and “While.” These errors rarely prevent understanding, but they reduce control. Practise accurate past-tense trend descriptions and proofread articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation.

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