Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-31

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 chart illustrates a comparison of carbon dioxide emissions per person in the four different countries (United Kingdom,Sweden,Italy,Portugal) from 1967 to 2007.

Overall, UK and sweden showed considerable amount of decrease over the period with the slight gain in between for Sweden. Whereas Italy and Portugal had gradual increase over the years with stable trends for both in the last decade.

In 1967, UK was at the top with above 10 tonnes of CO2 per person, followed by Sweden at second place with nearly 8.5 tonnes. Italy and Portugal respectively had under 6 tonnes at the beginning. One decade later, UK remained with no changes, but Sweden had a drastic increase upto 10 tonnes per person. Although Italy and Portugall shared gradual incline around 6.2 tonnes and 2 tonnes respectively.

Between 1977 and 1997, UK consistently showed slow decline, at 9.5 tonnes in 1997. The trends of Sweden also fell dramatically under 6 tonnes. However, Italy had gradual rise around 7.5 tonnes in 1997. Portugal with slow increase in trends, at 5 tonnes.

In 2007, as usual UK's trend came down to 8.5 tonnes, followed by Italy with stable growth from last decade (7.5 tonnes). Swedan with dramatical decrease came under 6 tonnes. Portugal with the same amount of gradual rise and had similar tonnes as Swd

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrast accurately: emissions fell in the UK and Sweden overall, while Italy and Portugal rose, and you include relevant figures across the period. The overview also notes that Italy and Portugal levelled off near the end, which is supported by the chart. Some comparisons are less fully or precisely reported, however. Sweden peaked in 1977 and then declined to about 5.4 tonnes in 2007; describing its 1997 level as “under 6” is slightly inaccurate, as it was about 6.1. The final comparison is cut off, so the important fact that Sweden and Portugal finished at roughly the same level is not clearly completed. A more precise overview and a complete final sentence would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs that move through the timeline. Time markers such as “In 1967,” “One decade later,” and “Between 1977 and 1997” help readers follow the data. The progression is generally logical, but some linking is mechanical or awkward. For example, “Whereas Italy and Portugal…” is left as a fragment after the overview’s first sentence, and “Although Italy and Portugall shared…” does not form a complete contrast with the preceding sentence. The final paragraph also ends abruptly, interrupting the comparison. Use complete sentences and connect related country trends more smoothly; this would make the organisation feel more controlled and the ending more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “emissions,” “gradual increase,” “decline,” and “stable,” so the main trends are usually understandable. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “considerable amount of decrease,” “drastic increase,” and “stable growth,” which can make the description less clear. There are also spelling errors in country names, including “Portugall,” “Swedan,” and “Swd,” and “upto” should be written as two words. Repeated use of “trend” and “gradual” also limits flexibility. Aim for accurate collocations and vary the verbs used to describe movement, while checking spelling and country names carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “Although” and “Whereas,” and most of the data remains understandable. However, some of these complex structures are incomplete: “Whereas Italy and Portugal had…” is a fragment, as is “Although Italy and Portugall shared gradual incline…”. There are also errors in articles and sentence construction, for example “UK was at the top” and “Portugal with slow increase in trends, at 5 tonnes.” Punctuation and spacing need attention, including the missing space in “Kingdom,Sweden.” Use complete clauses, check article use, and make sure each sentence has a clear subject and finite verb. Greater accuracy in these areas would improve control.

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