Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-20

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 7.0)

The given line graph represents the average carbon dioxide released per person across four nations namely the United kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal from 1967 to 2007. The data are caliberated in metric tonnes.

Overall, it can be observed that during the given years carbon dioxide emissions were maximum in the United Kingdom and minimum in Portugal. Strikingly, in 1987 Sweden and Italy had equal carbon dioxide emission ,while in 2007 the emissions were same for Portugal and Sweden.

During the first decade, the average carbon dioxide release increased for three of the four countries, whereas it plateaued at 11 for the United Kingdom. From 1977 to 2007, a gradual decrease was noticed for United Kingdom and the figures finally fell to 9 in 2007. The emissions in Sweden observed a peak value of a little above 10 metric tonnes in 1977 before declining to about 5.5 metric tonnes in 2007, with an ongoing decrease from 1977 to 2007.

The figures continously increased for Italy and Portugal from 1977 to 1997 and to approximately 7.5 metric tonnes and 5 metric tonnes respectively. The data remained stable for both the countries during the last decade with a figure of nearly 7.5 for Italy and 5 for Portugal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main overall pattern: the UK has the highest emissions across the period, Portugal starts lowest, and the UK and Sweden decline while Italy and Portugal rise. It also selects useful comparisons, including Sweden’s 1977 peak and the similar 2007 figures for Sweden and Portugal. Most reported values are appropriately approximate. However, the overview’s claim that emissions were “minimum in Portugal” is too broad, since Portugal and Sweden are level at the end, and the statement that Sweden and Italy were equal in 1987 is not supported by the graph (about 7 and 6.7 tonnes respectively). The account is otherwise relevant and supported with data; more precise comparisons and a consistently accurate overview would strengthen it further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two detail paragraphs, with a sensible progression from the overall picture to country-specific trends. Grouping the UK and Sweden separately from Italy and Portugal helps the reader follow the contrasting patterns. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “During the first decade,” and “From 1977 to 2007” make the sequence easy to track. Some connections could be more exact: “The figures continuously increased for Italy and Portugal from 1977 to 1997” leaves out their increases from 1967 to 1977, and “The data remained stable for both the countries” could refer more clearly to the final decade. Overall, cohesion is effective, though a few transitions and references could be more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is a sufficient range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “plateaued,” “peak value,” “gradual decrease,” and “remained stable.” These choices show some flexibility and help avoid excessive repetition. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “caliberated” is not the right term for the units, “emissions observed a peak value” is unnatural, and “carbon dioxide released” is less precise than “CO₂ emissions.” Spelling errors such as “continously” also reduce accuracy. The meaning remains clear, and the response attempts less common vocabulary, but more reliable collocations and careful proofreading would make the language more precise and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a range of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “whereas it plateaued at 11 for the United Kingdom” and “before declining to about 5.5 metric tonnes in 2007.” Many sentences are grammatically clear, and tense use is generally appropriate for describing past data. A few errors persist, including the missing article in “had equal carbon dioxide emission,” the awkward construction “The emissions in Sweden observed a peak value,” and punctuation spacing before commas. The sentence beginning “The figures continuously increased…” also has a slightly unclear time reference. These issues do not prevent understanding, but more consistent control of articles, number agreement and sentence phrasing would improve accuracy.

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