Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-18

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 given graph provides comparative data on average carbon dioxide emissions measured by metric tonnes per person in four different countries including the UK, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007. Overall, CO2 emissions in Italy and Portugal had risen in general despite the slight fluctuations, on the other hand emissions in the UK and Sweden declined while Sweden experienced a sharp increase in the first decade. In 1967, Italy and Portugal had the lowest emissions among the selected countries at approximately 4.2 and 1.2 metric tonnes, respectively. By 1997, the figures rose to around 7.8 and 5.5 and at which point the figures then levelled off until 2007. As for other two countries, the United Kingdom had the highest emissions in 1967 at around 10.9 metric tonnes, then its figure declined steadily, reaching 8.9 metric tonnes by 2007. Emissions in Sweden experienced a sharp increase in the first decade, reaching nearly 10.5, then the figure plunged to approximately 7 in 1987 and continued decrease to the same level of Portugal in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main overall contrast: emissions rose in Italy and Portugal, while the UK and Sweden ended lower, and it notes Sweden’s early rise. It also selects relevant figures to support these trends. Most reported values are close to the chart, but the account of Italy and Portugal is imprecise: they did not both level off from 1997; Italy was broadly stable at about 7.6, while Portugal continued to rise slightly from about 5.2 to 5.4. The overview could also make the final ranking clearer: the UK remained highest, while Sweden and Portugal finished at roughly the same level. These small omissions and generalisations limit the precision of an otherwise well-focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence, moving from an overview to the lower-emission countries and then the UK and Sweden. This gives the reader a coherent account of the main trends. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear. The overview’s “on the other hand” is awkwardly attached to the preceding clause, and “By 1997 … and at which point” creates an unclear link between the date and the following idea. The final sentence also repeats the Sweden trend already mentioned in the overview. Use clearer sentence boundaries and more precise referencing, and group related comparisons so that each paragraph has a distinct purpose.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The response uses a suitable range of task vocabulary, including “comparative data,” “declined steadily,” “sharp increase,” “plunged,” and “levelled off.” These choices communicate the broad movements effectively, and the meaning remains clear. Some collocations and phrasing are less natural or precise: “had risen in general” is vague, “the figures rose to around 7.8 and 5.5” could identify which country each figure belongs to, and “continued decrease” is not idiomatic. There is also some repetition of “figure” and “emissions.” More precise trend language and varied references to the data would demonstrate greater flexibility and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a useful mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including time clauses and contrasts, and the main trends are generally easy to understand. Some sentences are accurate and controlled, such as “the United Kingdom had the highest emissions in 1967 … then its figure declined steadily.” However, several errors remain. The overview joins contrasting clauses with a comma before “on the other hand,” creating a faulty sentence boundary. “By 1997 … and at which point” is an awkward, incomplete construction, while “continued decrease” needs a grammatical form such as “continued to decrease.” Review clause boundaries and verb patterns, and simplify sentences when a complex structure becomes difficult to control.

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