Academic Ielts Essay Writing Task2 24 (1)

7/30/2019 Academic Ielts Essay Writing Task2 24 (1)

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The IELTS Writing Examination (Academic Module)The IELTS writing examination (both the General Training Moduleand theAcademic Module) consists of two tasks. Both tasks must be completed in60 minutes. It is suggested that you spend about 20 minutes on task 1, and40 minutes on task 2.

Task 1

You will be asked to describe some information presented to you in a visual format (graph, chart,table or diagram). You must write at least 150 words.

If you are presented with a graph, table or chart, you will be expected to describe the informationpresented. This means organising the information in a logical way and possibly makingcomparisons or contrasts.

If you are presented with a diagram, you may be expected to describe how something works, ordescribe the steps in a process.

SeeDescribing Graphical Information for ideas on how to approach task 1.

Task 2

In this task you will be presented with an opinion, problem or argument. You will be expected towrite 250 words

presenting and justifying an opinion

comparing and contrasting opinions, evidence or implications

examining a problem and presenting a solution evaluating an argument

Marking

The IELTS examiners will score your essay on the basis of four criteria:

Task Achievement

Coherence and Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

What does this mean?

1. Task Achievement

This means answering the question. It is important to read the rubric (question) very carefully.

In task 1 you must present the information given in visual format accurately and you must not giveinformation which is not contained in the graph, chart, table or diagram. The main features given inthe graph, chart, table or diagram must be present in your description or you will lose marks. Youwill also lose marks if you do not write the required number of words.
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In task 2 you must draw on your own experience to develop the ideas presented in the question.You must give evidence or examples to support your ideas.

2. Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence means connecting your ideas together in a logical way, depending on the type of essay

you are writing. Cohesion means using pronouns, conjunctions and reference words to tie theideas in your essay together. EssayBuilder can help you with this: see linking words and phrases.

3. Lexical Resource

This means using a varied range of vocabulary and idiomatic English appropriate to the task.EssayBuilder can help you to choose the words and phrases you need and can help you toincrease the range and accurate use of your vocabulary.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

This refers to how varied your knowledge of grammatical structures is and how accurately you use

these structures in the sentences you write. EssayBuilder can help you check your essayand helpyou to revise your work.

Assess your own Essay

EssayBuilder can give you an estimate of a probable IELTS scorefor your essay.
http://www.essaybuilder.net/Linkers.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/WordsAndPhrases.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Readability.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Readability.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Readability.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Readability.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Linkers.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/WordsAndPhrases.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Readability.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/Readability.html


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Writing about Graphs and ChartsIELTS Writing task 1 (Academic Module) requires you to write a descriptionof information given in graphical form. This could be a graph, chart, table or

diagram. The following pages provide a guide to writing these descriptions.

Introduction to Line Graphs - Rising TrendIntroduction to Line Graphs - Falling TrendDescribing Line Graphs - Using AdverbsDescribing Line Graphs - Using Verbs and NounsDescribing Line Graphs - Making ComparisonsDescribing Bar Charts and Column ChartsDescribing Bar Charts and Column Charts - Making Multiple Comparisons

Describing Bar Charts and Column Charts - Observing the AxesDescribing Pie ChartsDescribing Pie Charts - Comparing Two ChartsDescribing TablesUsing ApproximationDescribing TrendsDescribing ProjectionsChecklist
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Describing Line Graphs (1)Look at the following simple line graph:

It shows the population of Denmark from 1996 to 2007. You can see that in 1996 the populationwas 5.25 million and that by the year 2007 it had grown to 5.45 million.

When you write about a line chart it is important to look first at the Chart Title. This tells you whatinformation the graph displays and you can use this information in your description.

Then look at the X and Y axes. The titles of these axes sometimes give you information you canuse in your description. It is important also to look at the UNITS. On the Y-axis in this graph theunits are millions. The population of Denmark in 1996 was not 5.25, but 5.25 million people.

Line graphs describe change. When describing these graphs you must answer the question,"What changed?". In this case we can see that the population of Denmark increased from 1996 to2007.

We can also ask the question, "How did the population change?". Because the line is fairlysmooth, we can say that the population increased steadily.

Lastly, we can ask the question, "How much?". In this case, "How big was the change inpopulation?" The population in 1996 was 5.25 million and in 2007 it was 2.45 million. So there was

an increase of 0.2 million or 200,000 people.

To write a short description of this graph ask yourself (and answer!) thefollowing questions:

1. What exactly does the graph show? (Use the chart title to help you answer this question)2. What are the axes and what are the units?3. What changed?4. How much did it change?

Answering these questions will help you to write a short description of this simple graph.

Here is an example:

This graph shows population change in Denmark from 1996 to 2007. Denmark's population grewsteadily from 5.25 million in 1996 to 5.45 million in 2007, an increase of 200,000 people.


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Vocabulary

Other words you can use instead ofincreased orgrew are rose and went up.

Adverbs you can use with these words are:

Describing Line Graphs (2)

How? How much?

increaseddramatically, significantly, considerably, rapidly,substantially, steadily, sharply, markedly, greatly, slightly,exponentially, proportionally, strongly

by X% (by X per cent),by X (units), from X toY, tenfold, fourfold ...

grewrapidly, steadily, slowly, gradually, dramatically,substantially, enormously, quickly

by X% (by X per cent),by X (units), from X toY

rose

sharply, slowly, steadily, slightly, rapidly, quickly,

dramatically, significantly, substantially, gently, fractionally,considerably, gradually

by X% (by X per cent),

by X (units), from X toY

went up The above adverbs are not usually used with "went up".by X% (by X per cent),by X (units), from X toY


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Look at the following simple line graph:

It

shows the population of Hungary from 1996 to 2007. You can see that in 1996 the population wasmore than 10.3 million and that by the year 2007 it had fallen to just over 10.05 million.

What change is shown by this graph? In this case we can see that the population of Hungarydecreased from 1996 to 2007.

Also in this graph the line is fairly smooth, so we can say that the population decreased steadily.

How big was the change in population? The population in 1996 was 10.32 million and in 2007 itwas 10.07 million. So there was a decrease of 0.25 million or 250,000 people.


1. What exactly does the graph show? (Use the chart title to help you answer this question)2. What are the axes and what are the units?3. What changed?4. How much did it change?

Answering these questions will help you to write a short description of this simple graph.

Here is an example:

This graph shows population change in Hungary from 1996 to 2007. Hungary's population fellsteadily from 10.32 million in 1996 to 10.07 million in 2007, a decrease of 250,000 people.

Vocabulary

Other words you can use instead offell ordecreased are declined, dropped and went down .

Adverbs you can use with these words are:

How? How much?

fell sharply, heavily, slightly, steadily, dramatically,significantly, considerably, quickly, rapidly, steeply, by X% (by X per cent),by X (units), from X to


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gradually, gently, substantially, precipitately, fractionally,drastically, marginally, markedly, progressively,continuously

Y, tenfold, fourfold ...

decreasedsignificantly, markedly, slightly, steadily, rapidly,

considerably, continuously, dramatically,

by X% (by X per cent),

by X (units), from X toY, tenfold, fourfold ...

declinedsharply, rapidly, dramatically, steadily, slightly, markedly,significantly, considerably, steeply, drastically,continuously, substantially, quickly

by X% (by X per cent),by X (units), from X to Y

dropped

dramatically, sharply, slightly, considerably, steadily,significantly, rapidly, drastically, alarmingly, noticeably,markedly, radically, abruptly, substantially, gradually,gently, slowly


went downThe above adverbs are not usually used with "went down".



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Describing Line Graphs (3) - Using AdverbsThe following graphs illustrate the use of some adverbs:

The population rose slowly. (small increase in the population over the period)

The population rose steadily. (little or no variation in the rate of growth)

The population rose slightly. (small increase in the population over the period)

The population rose gently. (small increase in the population over the period)

The population rose gradually. (small increase in the population over the period)

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased dramatically.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased significantly. From 1996 to 1998, the population increased considerably.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased rapidly.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased substantially.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased markedly.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased greatly.

After 1998, the population grew more slowly.

From 1996 to 1998, the population grew from 9.9 million to 10.25 million.

From 1996 to 1998, the population grew by 0.35 million.

From 1996 to 1998, the population grew by 350,000. From 1996 to 1998, the population grew by 3.535%.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grew from 10.25 million to 10.30 million.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grew by 0.05 million.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grew by 50,000.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grew by 0.488%

Overall, the population went up from 9.9 million to 10.3 million. Overall, the population went up by 0.4 million.

Overall, the population went up by 400,000.

Overall, the population went up by 4.04%.


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Describing Line Graphs (4) - Using Verbs and NounsSo far, we have only used verbs to describe these line graphs but we canalso use nouns. We change the adverbs into adjectives.

The population rose slowly. There was a slowrise in the population.

The population rose steadily. There was a steadyrise in the population. The population rose slightly. There was a slightrise in the population.

The population rose gently. There was a gentlerise in the population.

The population rosegradually. There was a gradual rise in the population.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increaseddramatically. From 1996 to 1998 there was adramaticincrease in the population.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased significantly. From 1996 to 1998 there was asignificant increase in the population.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased considerably. From 1996 to 1998 there was aconsiderable increase in the population.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased rapidly. From 1996 to 1998 there was a rapidincrease in the population.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased substantially. From 1996 to 1998 there was a

substantial increase in the population. From 1996 to 1998, the population increased markedly. From 1996 to 1998 there was a

dramatic increase in the population.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased greatly. From 1996 to 1998 there was a greatincrease in the population.

After 1998, the population grew more slowly. After 1998, the population growth was slower.

From 1996 to 1998, the population rose from 9.9 million to 10.25 million. From 1996 to 1998,there was a rise in population from 9.9 million to 10.25 million.

From 1996 to 1998, the population rose by 0.35 million. From 1996 to 1998, there was a rise

in populationof0.35 million. From 1996 to 1998, the population rose by 350,000. From 1996 to 1998, there was a rise in

populationof350,000.

From 1996 to 1998, the population rose by 3.535%. From 1996 to 1998, there was a rise inpopulationof3.535 per cent.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grew from 10.25 million to 10.30 million. From 1998 to2007, there was a growth in population from 10.25 million to 10.30 million.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grewby 0.05 million. From 1998 to 2007, there was agrowth in populationof0.05 million.

From 1998 to 2007, the population grewby 50,000. From 1998 to 2007, there was a growth

in populationof50,000. From 1998 to 2007, the population grewby 0.488%. From 1998 to 2007, there was a growth

in populationof0.488 per cent.

Overall, the population went up from 9.9 million to 10.3 million. Overall, there was a growthin population from 9.9 million to 10.3 million.

Overall, the population went upby 0.4 million. Overall, there was an increase in populationof0.4 million.

Overall, the population went upby 400,000. Overall, there was a rise in populationof400,000.

Overall, the population went upby 4.04%. Overall, there was a growth in populationof4.04 per cent .

Instead of "growth in population" you can also say "population growth".


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Describing Line Graphs (5) - Making Comparisons

This graph shows the change in population in two countries from 1996 to 2007. In describing thisgraph it is important to describe change as in any other graph, but it is also necessary to makecomparisons between the two countries.

What changes are shown by this graph? In this case we can see that the population of Austriaincreased from 1996 to 2007.

Also in this graph the Austrian line is fairly smooth, so we can say that the population increasedsteadily.

How big was the change in Austria's population? The population in 1996 was 7.95 million and in2007 it was 8.3 million. So there was an increase of 0.35 million or 350,000 people.

By contrast, the population of Bulgaria decreased from 1996 to 2007.

This change did not happen at the same rate. The population declined steadily from 1996 to 2001,but from 2001 to 2002 the rate of decline was steeper. From 2002 to 2007 the population fell at asimilar rate to the 1996 - 2001 period.

How far did Bulgaria's population fall? The population in 1996 was nearly 8 million and in 2007 itwas 7.7 million. So there was an decrease of nearly 0.7 million or 700,000 people.

What similarities or differences are there between the populations of Austria and Bulgaria?

Austria Bulgaria

Austria's population grew from 1996 to 2007. Bulgaria's population fell from 1996 to 2007.

Austria's population growth was fairly steadyover the 1996 - 2007 period. The rate of decline in Bulgaria's population

varied over the 1996 - 2007 period.

Austria's population increased by 350,000. Bulgaria's population declined by 700,000


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1.What exactly does the graph show? (Use the chart title to help you answer this question)2.What are the axes and what are the units?

3.What changed?4.How much did it change?5.What comparisons can you make between the two data series?

Answering these questions will help you to write a short description of this graph.

Here is an example:

This graph shows population change in Austria and Bulgaria from 1996 to 2007. Austria'spopulation grew steadily from 7.95 million in 1996 to 8.3 million in 2007, a increase of 350,000people.

By contrast, Bulgaria's population fell over the same period. The population declined steadily from1996 to 2001, but from 2001 to 2002 the rate of decline was steeper. From 2002 to 2007 thepopulation fell at a similar rate to the 1996 - 2001 period.

While Austria's population grew by 350,000, Bulgaria's fell by twice that number, 700,000, adecline of nearly 10%.


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Describing Bar Charts and Column Charts (1)Bar charts and column charts are similar: only their orientations differ. Abar chart is orientated horizontally, whereas a column chart is arrangedvertically. Sometimes "bar chart" refers to both forms.

These types of charts are usually used for comparison purposes (unlike line charts, which describechange).

Observe the following chart :

It

shows the populations of various European countries in the year 2007. The populations are onlyfor one year, 2007, and so we cannot make any comments about change in population: we canonly compare one county with another.

When you write about a bar or column chart it is important to look first at the Chart Title. This tellsyou what information the chart displays and you can use this information in your description.

Then look at the X and Y axes. The titles of these axes sometimes give you information you canuse in your description. It is important also to look at the UNITS. On the Y-axis in this chart theunits are millions. The population of Belgium in 2007 was not 10, but 10 million people.

Bar and column charts show similarities and differences. When describing these charts you needto make comparisons.

You also need to group together any columns which have broad similarities.


1. What exactly does the chart show? (Use the chart title to help you answer this question)2. What are the axes and what are the units?3. What similarities are there?4. Is it possible to put some of the columns into one or more groups?5. What differences are there?

Answering these questions will help you to write a short description of this simple column chart.

Here is an example:


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This chart shows the populations of some European countries in 2007. The country with thelargest population is Germany, with over 80 million people whereas Estonia has the smallestpopulation, at little more than a million. Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estoniaand Ireland all have populations or ten million or less, while Greece has a population of abouteleven million. Apart from Germany, the largest countries are Spain, France and Italy withpopulations ranging from about forty-four to sixty-three million. Together, the four largest countriesaccount for over eighty per cent of the population of the countries shown.

Vocabulary

To make comparisons, you need to know the comparatives and superlatives of commonadjectives. Here are some examples:

Adjective Comparative Superlative

bad worse worst

big bigger biggest

expensive more expensive most expensive

good better best

great greater greatest

high higher highest

large larger largest

little less least

long longer longest

low lower lowest

many more most

much more most

new newer newest

old older oldest

poor poorer poorest

rich richer richest

short shorter shortest

small small smallest

strong stronger strongest

weak weaker weakest

To signal comparison and contrast within a sentence you can use the followingconjunctions:

as ....... as, not as ......... as, not so ........ as, whereas, but, while, although

To signal comparison and contrast between sentences you can use the following wordsand phrases:

However, By contrast, On the other hand, In comparison

EssayBuildergives a more extensive list of these words and phrases withexamples of their use.

Describing Bar Charts and Column Charts (2)
http://www.essaybuilder.net/download.htmlhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/download.html


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Bar charts and column charts are often used to make multiplecomparisons.

Observe the following chart :

It shows the populations of major European countries in the years 1996 and 2007. In this case wecan make two sets of comparisons. We can look at the change in population from 1996 to 2007 foreach country, and we can compare the populations of the various countries in each year.

Look at the Y axis. You can see that it starts at 30, not zero. Sometimes charts are formatted likethis in order to make the differences more obvious. To see a comparison, see the next page.

In general, when describing a chart of this type, you should describe the most important changefirst. Then you can compare individual items (in this case, countries).

The most important information on this chart is that in all countries, except Poland, the populationincreased from 1996 to 2007.

Now you can compare individual countries and you can compare two things: You can comparesizes of populations and you can compare the change in populations from 1996 to 2007. We'llconcentrate on the change in population.

You can compare the largest change and the smallest change: The largest change was in Turkey,where the population rose from about 62 to about 73 million, whereas the smallest increase was inGermany where the population of nearly 82 million rose by half a million. Spain also had a fairlylarge increase from 39.4 million to 44.5 million.

It is important to mention any exceptions to the changes you describe. In this case, the exceptionis Poland where the population fell very slightly in the period described.
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1. What exactly does the chart show? (Use the chart title to help you answer this question)2. What are the axes and what are the units?3. What changes are there?4. What similarities are there?

5. Is it possible to put some of the columns into one or more groups?6. What exceptions are there?

Answering these questions will help you to write a short description of this simple column chart.For example:

This chart shows the populations of major European countries in 1996 and 2007. In all countriesexcept Poland the population rose in this period. The largest rise was in Turkey where thepopulation increased from over 62 to over 73 million, whereas the smallest increase was inGermany where the population of 82 million rose by a few thousand. Spain also had a fairly largeincrease from 39.4 million to 44.5 million, and France was not far behind with an increase ofalmost 4 million. In the other two countries, Italy and the United Kingdom, population growth wasmore modest with increases of about 2.3 and 2.8 million respectively. In Poland, the population fell

by half a million. Poland had the smallest population in both 1996 and 2007. Although Spain andPortugal had comparable populations in 1996, Spain's population is now nearly six and a halfmillion greater than Poland's.

Vocabulary

You can see that where there is a change over time, you need to use some of thevocabulary used to describe line graphs (rose, increased, decreased, etc).

For comparing and contrasting, you need the vocabulary of comparison

Describing Bar Charts and Column Charts (3)
http://www.essaybuilder.net/LineGraphs.html#LineVocabularyhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/BarCharts.html#BarVocabularyhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/LineGraphs.html#LineVocabularyhttp://www.essaybuilder.net/BarCharts.html#BarVocabulary


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It is important to look at the axes of graphs and charts

Observe the following charts:

These two charts show EXACTLY the same information. However, it is easier to see thedifferences in the first chart because the Y axis starts at 30, not zero. Sometimes charts areformatted like this in order to make the differences more obvious.

Describing Pie Charts (1)


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Pie Charts normally illustrate proportion

Pie Charts normally show proportion, which can be measured in percentages or fractions.

This chart shows the relative size of populations of countries of the European Union in 2007. Sowe can only make comparisons; we cannot say anything about change.

We can see that the country with the largest population was Germany with 16.6% of the EuropeanUnion's population. We can also see that the second largest population was that of France with12.8% of the population.

We do NOT know from this chart which country has the smallest population because the 21smallest countries are included in one group. (If you're interested, it is Malta with less than 0.1 percent.)

You can see that the four largest countries (Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy)together make up more than half of the European Union's population.

You CANNOT say that Poland has the smallest population: 21 other countries have populationssmaller than Poland's.

The twenty-one smallest countries of the European Union make up nearly 30% of the population.

Describing Pie Charts (2) - Making Comparisons


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If two or more similar pie charts are displayed, you can make comparisons

This chart shows the relative size of populations of countries of the European Union in both 1998and 2007. In this case we can make two sets of comparisons:

1. We can make comparisons between the countries in eachyear.

2. We can make comparisons between the two years (i.e.examine any changes from 1998 to 2007).

In this case, we'll look at comparisons between the two years.

The first thing to notice is that there is very little change: all changes amount to less than 1%.

The second change to notice is which countries' populations grew (as a proportion of the whole)and which countries' populations shrank.

You can see that both Germany's and Poland's populations share of the European Union'sPopulation fell from 1998 to 2007 ( from 17.1% to 16.6 % and from 8% to 7.7%, respectively).

The percentage populations of the other major countries of the European Union grew in thisperiod. The largest growth in population share was that of Spain which increased its share from8.3% to 9%. Both the UK's and Italy's share of the EU population grew by only 0.1%.

In spite of the change in Germany's population share, it remained the largest population of theEuropean Union.

Note that you CANNOT say that Germany's population fell or that France's population grew. Thesecharts only show population share, not population numbers.


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The following table shows actual population numbers:

As you can see, in all these countries except Poland, the populations increased between 1998 and2007.


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Describing Tables

This table shows the percentage of women in tertiary education in selectedcountries from 1998 to 2005 :

Observing trends in a table is not as easy as it is when you examine a graph, so you need to lookcarefully. The most striking thing to notice is that in all countries except Japan women made upsignificantly more than half of the student population in tertiary education.

In general, the trend was for an increasing percentage of women in tertiary education. The onlyexception to this was Bulgaria where the trend is in reverse: in 1998, 60.9% of the tertiary studentpopulation was made up of women, whereas by 2005 this figure had fallen to 52.1%.

The country with the highest percentage of women in tertiary education was Iceland and this wasalso the country with the largest increase, rising from from 60% to 64.9%.

The largest percentage change was that of Bulgaria, from 60.9% to 52.1%, a 14.4% drop.

The lowest rise was in Finland, where, although the percentage fluctuated over the period inquestion, the percentage rose from 53.5 to 53.6.


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Using Approximation

Graphs, charts and tables often give a large number of quite precise figures(1.54379, 53.25%, 100,001, etc.). You don't always need to give the same levelof precision when you write your description. However, it is important to

indicate that the figures you are giving are not exact. You can do this by usingwords such as approximately, about, just over, just under, etc.

If you want to indicate an approximate figure you can use:about, roughly, approximately, around

To indicate that a figure is less than your approximation you can use:under, less than, below, almost

To indicate that a figure is more than your approximation you can use:

Figure Approximation

100,005 about one hundred thousand

60.04% roughly sixty per cent

40.5C approximately 40 degrees Celsius

502.02 around five hundred pounds

Qualifying Adverb Adverb Figure Approximation

just, a little, slightly, under 99,998

just undera hundred thousand

a little undera hundred thousand

slightly undera hundred thousand

slightly, a little, just,a bit,

less than 58.4 seconds slightly less than a minute

a little less than a minute

just less than a minute

a bit less than a minutejust, slightly,

marginallybelow 9.7% just below ten per cent

slightly below ten per cent

marginally below ten per cent

almost 14.9bn almost 15 billion Euros


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over, more than, above

Other words your can use to indicate approximation are:nearly, close to, approaching

Qualifying Adverb Adverb Figure Approximation

just, a little, slightly,not much,

over 100,008

just overone hundred thousand

a little overone hundred thousand

slightly overon hundred thousand

not much overone hundredthousand

a little, a bit,slightly, barely

more than24 hours 6minutes

a little more than twenty-four hours

a bit more than twenty-four hours

slightly more than twenty-four hours

barely more than twenty-four hours

just, a little, barely,marginally

above 32.1F

just above thirty-two degreesFahrenheit

a little overthirty-two degreesFahrenheit

barely thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit

marginally above thirty-two degreesFahrenheit

Adverb Figure Approximation

nearly 99,998 nearly one hundred thousand

close to 9.8%close to ten per cent

approaching 14.7bnapproaching fifteen billion Euros


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A trend is a general direction or tendency. It is important to identify trendswhen you write a description of graphical information.

On a simple chart like this it is easy to see that the trend was upwards (therewas an upwards trend):

Similarly it is easy to see that the trend in the following graph was downwards(there was a downwards trend):

Sometimes the trend is less obvious and you have to read the graph carefully


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In this case you can see that wood production in Italy from 1994 to 2005 went up and down(fluctuated). But overall production declined, from nearly 9.5 thousand cubic metres in 1995 to justover eight thousand cubic metres in 2005. The trend is downwards. Production declined over thisperiod. A program like Microsoft Excel can provide a trendline to show the data series trend:

When describing a graph of this type you should state what the overall trend is (upwards,downward or unchanging), and mention the initial and final figures. You should also mention thelowest and highest points reached. For example, wood production in Italy reached a peak of overeleven thousand cubic metres in 1999. The lowest amount of wood produced in one year wasseven and a half thousand cubic metres in 2002.

Projections


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Not all graphs give information about the past: some give estimated figuresof future data. For example:

This graph shows the population of the United Kingdom from the year 2005 to the year 2050measured at five year intervals. But the only figure which we can be sure about is the one for 2005(59.9 million). All the other figures are in the future and they are estimates (what we, or thepopulation statisticians, think the population will be). These estimates are called projections. Sowe can say that the UK population is projected to rise to just under 65 million in 2035. In 2040 it isestimated to remain at just under 65 million, after which it is projected to decline.

You can see that it is important to look at the axes in order to decide whether the data in the graphis a projection or not.

Sometimes projected data is indicated by a dotted or dashed line, as in thefollowing example:

Here we can see that the population of Denmark is projected to rise to 5.5 million in 2010, afterwhich it is projected to remain stable.


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Checklist for Writing about Charts, Graphs andTablesASK YOURSELF (AND ANSWER!) THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What exactly does the chart/graph/table show?

Use the title, and possibly the axes, to answer this question.

For example:

This graph shows the price of computer memory from 1990 to 2007.This graph illustrates the price of computer memory from 1990 to 2007.

These graphs illustrate the price of computer memory from 1990 to 2007.

2. What are the axes and what are the units (for graphs and charts)?

You don't have to include this information in your description but asking yourself the question helpsyou to avoid errors.

For example:

This X axis shows time in years and the Y axis show price per kilobyte of memory in dollars. 3. Are there any obvious trends?

If there is an obvious trend, it is important to mention this.

For example:

You can see from this graph that the price of computer memory fell steadily over the period in

question.4. Is there any significant information?

Look for obvious differences such as the largest, the smallest.

For example:

Sweden had the largest proportion of people using the Internet in 1999. 5. Are there any obvious exceptions to general trends?

You won't normally see a graph with a straight line; most will fluctuate in some way or another.Once you have identified a trend, point out the exceptions.

For example:

Although the number of cinema goers increased from 1990 to 1998, there were slight falls in1992 and 1995.


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6. What conclusions can you draw from the information presented in thegraphs / tables / charts?

Be careful not to draw conclusions which are not supported by the information in the graphs /charts / tables.

For example:

It is clear from the information presented in these charts that Internet use is increasingworldwide and will probably continue to do so as the price of Internet access falls.

Other language you could use:

The data suggest / show that ...

The most significant fact is that ...

In spite of this increase / decrease, .....

This could well be due to ...

This is supported by the fact that ...

An important point to note is that ...

It is quite clear form this data that ...

The chart indicates that ...


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Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre EU Funds for transport 2007-2013


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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and waterconsumption in two different countries.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and makecomparisons where relevant. (Write at least 150 words).

Country Population Irrigated land Water consumption per person

Brazil 176 million 26,500 km 359 m

Democratic

Republic

of Congo

5.2 million 100 km 8 m

model answer:

The graph shows how the amount of water used worldwide changed between 1900 and 2000.

Throughout the century, the largest quantity of water was used for agricultural Purposes, andthis increased dramatically from about 500 km to around 3,000 km in the year 2000. Waterused in the industrial and domestic sectors also increased, but consumption was minimal untilmid-century. From 1950 onwards, industrial use grew steadily to just over 1,000 km, whiledomestic use rose more slowly to only 300 km, both far below the levels of consumption byagriculture.

The table illustrates the differences in agriculture consumption in some areas of the world bycontrasting the amount of irrigated land in Brazil (26,500 km) with that in the D.R.C. (100km). This means that a huge amount of water is used in agriculture in Brazil, and this isreflected in the figures for water consumption per person: 359 m compared with only 8 m inthe Congo. With a population of 176 million, the figures for Brazil indicate how high agriculturewater consumption can be in some countries.

(180 words)


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The charts below show the main reasons for study among students ofdifferent age groups and the amount of support they received fromemployers.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,and make comparisons where relevant.

You should write at least 150 words.



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model answer:

The first graph shows that there is a gradual decrease in study for career reasons

with age. Nearly 80% of students under 26 years, study for their career. Thispercentage gradually declines by 10-20% every decade. Only 40% of 40-49yr

olds and 18% of over 49yr olds studing for career reasons in late adulthood.

Conversely, the first graph also shows that study stemming from interestincreases with age. There are only 10% of under 26yr olds studing out ofinterest. The percentage increases slowly till the beginning of the fourth decade,and increases dramatically in late adulthood. Nearly same number of 40-49yr oldsstudy for career and interest. However 70% of over 49yr olds study for interest incomparison to 18% studing for career reasons in that age group.

The second graph shows that employer support is maximum (approximately

60%) for the under 26yr students. It drops rapidly to 32% up to the third decadeof life, and then increses in late adulthood up to about 44%. It is unclear whether

employer support is only for career-focused study, but the highest level is forthose students who mainly study for career purposes.

This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 8 score. Here isthe examiner's comment:

This answer summarises the key features of both charts and integrates themwell. Clear trends are identified and supported with appropriately-selectedfigures. The answer could only be improved by adding an introduction to the

general topic of the charts.

The information is well organised, with a clearly-signalled progression. Linking

words are used accurately and precisely, although there is occasional omission.Paragraphing is used well initially, but lapses in the later section.

A very good range of vocabulary is used to convey the information concisely andaccurately with only occasional inappropriacy. Words are used precisely and thereare no errors in spelling or word form.

A wide range of structures is used and most sentences in this answer areaccurate. Errors are rare and do not affect communication in this answer.


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IELTS Writing task 2


Write about the following topic:

Using a computer every day can have more negative than positive effects on yourchildren.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledgeor experience.

Write at least 250 words.

model answer:

I tend to agree that young children can be negatively affected by too much time spent on thecomputer every day. This is partly because sitting in front of a screen for too long can bedamaging to both the eyes and the physical posture of a young child, regardless of what theyare using the computer for.

However, the main concern is about the type of computer activities that attract children.These are often electronic games that tend to be very intense and rather violent. The player isusually the hero of the game and too much exposure can encourage children to be self-centred and insensitive to others.

Even when children use a computer for other purposes, such as getting information oremailing friends, it is no substitute for human interaction. Spending time with other childrenand sharing nonvirtual experiences is an important part of a child's development that cannotbe provided by a computer.

In spite of this, the obvious benefits of computer skills for young children cannot be denied.Their adult world will be changing constantly in terms of technology and the Internet is the keyto all the knowledge and information available in the world today. Therefore it is important thatchildren learn at an early age to use the equipment enthusiastically and with confidence asthey will need these skills throughout their studies and working lives.

I think the main point is to make sure that young children do not overuse computers. Parents

must ensure that their children learn to enjoy other kinds of activity and not simply sit at home,learning to live in a virtual world.

(273 words)




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Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people inother important professions.Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.



model answer:

As a result of constant media attention, sports professionals in my country have become starsand celebrities, and those at the top are paid huge salaries. Just like movie stars, they liveextravagant lifestyles with huge houses and cars.

Many people find their rewards unfair, especially when comparing these super salaries withthose of top surgeons or research scientists, or even leading politicians who have theresponsibility of governing the country. However, sports salaries are not determined byconsidering the contribution to society a person makes, or the level of responsibility he or sheholds. Instead, they reflect the public popularity of sport in general and the level of publicsupport that successful stars can generate. So the notion of fairness is not the issue.

Those who feel that sports stars salaries are justified might argue that the number ofprofessionals with real talent are very few, and the money is a recognition of the skills anddedication a person needs to be successful. Competition is constant and a player is testedevery time they perform in their relatively short career. The pressure from the media is intenseand there is little privacy out of the spotlight. So all of these factors may justify the hugeearnings.

Personally, I think that the amount of money such sports stars make is more justified than thehuge earnings of movie stars, but at the same time, it indicates that our society places morevalue on sport than on more essential professions and achievements.

(251 words)




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If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would youchange?

Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge

or experience.


model answer:

If I could change one thing about my hometown, I think it would be the fact that theres nosense of community here. People dont feel connected, they dont look out for each other, andthey dont get to know their neighbors.

People come and go a lot here. They change jobs frequently and move on. This means thatthey dont put down roots in the community. They dont join community organizations andtheyre not willing to get involved in trying to improve the quality of life. If someone has apetition to put in a new street light, she has a very hard time getting a lot of people to sign.They dont feel it has anything to do with them. They dont get involved in improving theschools because they dont think the quality of education is important to their lives. They dontsee the connection between themselves and the rest of their community.

People dont try to support others around them. They dont keep a friendly eye on theirchildren, or check in on older folks if they dont see them for a few days. Theyre not awarewhen people around them may be going through a hard time. For example, they may notknow if a neighbor loses a loved one. Theres not a lot of community support for individuals.

Neighbors dont get to know each other. Again, this is because people come and go within afew years. So when neighbors go on vacation, no one is keeping an eye on their house. Noone is making sure nothing suspicious is going on there, like lights in the middle of the night.When neighbors children are cutting across someones lawn on their bikes, theres nofriendly way of casually mentioning the problem. People immediately act as if its a majorproperty disagreement.

My hometown is a nice place to live in many ways, but it would be much nice if we had thatsense of community.

(331 words)




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A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community.Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.


or experience.


model answer:

New factories often bring many good things to a community, such as jobs and increasedprosperity. However, in my opinion, the benefits of having a factory are outweighed by therisks. That is why I oppose the plan to build a factory near my community.

I believe that this city would be harmed by a large factory. In particular, a factory woulddestroy the quality of the air and water in town. Factories bring smog and pollution. In the longrun, the environment will be hurt and peoples health will be affected. Having a factory is notworth that rise.

Of course, more jobs will be created by the factory. Our population will grow. Toaccommodate more workers, more homes and stores will be needed. Do we really want thismuch growth, so fast? If our town is going in growth, I would prefer slow growth with goodplanning. I dont want to see rows of cheaply constructed townhouses. Our quality of life mustbe considered.

I believe that this growth will change our city too much. I love my hometown because it is asafe, small town. It is also easy to travel here. If we must expand to hold new citizens, thesmall-town feel will be gone. I mould miss that greatly.

A factory would be helpful in some ways. However, I feel that the dangers are greater thanthe benefits. I cannot support a plan to build a factory here, and hope that others feel thesame way.

(251 words)




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It has been said, Not every thing that is learned is contained in books.

Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained frombooks. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?


or experience.


model answer:

Experience is the best teacher is an old clich, but I agree with it. The most important, andsometimes the hardest, lessons we learn in life come from our participation in situations. Youcan learn everything from a book.

Of course, learning from books in a formal educational setting is also valuable. Its in schoolsthat we learn the information we need to function in our society. We learn how to speak andwrite and understand mathematical equations. This is all information that we need to live inour communities and earn a living.

Nevertheless, I think that the most important lessons cant be taught; they have to beexperienced. No one can teach us how to get along with others or how to have self-respect.As we grow from children into teenagers, no one can teach us how to deal with peerpressure. As we leave adolescence behind and enter adult life, no one can teach us how tofall in love and get married.

This shouldnt stop us from looking for guidelines along the way. Teachers and parents arevaluable sources of advice when were young. As we enter into new stages in our lives, theadvice we receive from them is very helpful because they have already bad similarexperiences. But experiencing our own triumphs and disasters is really the only way to learnhow to deal with life.

(232 words)




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Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the waypeople live?

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.


or experience.


model answer:

The twentieth century has brought with it many advances. With those advances, human liveshave changed dramatically. In some ways life is worse, but mostly it is better. Changes infood preparation methods, for example, have improved our lives greatly.

The convenience of preparing food today is amazing. Even stoves have gotten too slow forus. Microwave cooking is much easier. We can press a few buttons and a meal is completelycooked in just a short time. People used to spend hours preparing an oven-cooked meal, andnow they can use that time for other, better things. Plus, there are all kinds of portable,prepackaged foods we can buy. Heat them in the office microwave, and lunch at work is quickand easy.

Food preparation today allows for more variety. With refrigerators and freezers, we canpreserve a lot of different foods in our homes. Since technology makes cooking so muchfaster, people are willing to make several dishes for even a small meal. Parents are morelikely to let children be picky, now that they can easily heat them up some prepackagedmacaroni and cheese on the side. Needless to say, adults living in the same house may havevery different eating habits as well. If they dont want to cook a lot of different dishes, itscommon now to eat out at restaurants several times a week.

Healthful eating is also easier than ever now. When people cook, they use new fat substitutesand cooking sprays to cut fat and calories. This reduces the risk of heart disease and highcholesterol. Additionally, we can buy fruits and vegetable fresh, frozen or canned. They areeasy to prepare, so many of us eat more of those nutritious items daily. A hundred years ago,you couldnt imagine the process of taking some frozen fruit and ice from the freezer, addingsome low-fat yogurt from a plastic cup and some juice from a can in the refrigerator, andwhipping up a low-fat smoothie in the blender!

Our lifestyle is fast, but people still like good food. What new food preparation technology hasgiven us is more choices. Today, we can prepare food that is more convenient, healthier, and

of greater variety than ever before in history.

(376 words)




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Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.



model answer:

Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to have a very good relationship with myparents. They have supported me, given me necessary criticism, and taught me a great dealabout how to live my life. Parents can be very important teachers in our lives; however, theyare not always the best teachers.

Parents may be too close to their children emotionally. Sometimes they can only see theirchildren though the eyes of a protector. For example, they may limit a childs freedom in thename of safety. A teacher might see a trip to a big city as a valuable new experience.However, it might seem too dangerous to a parent.

Another problem is that parents may expect their childrens interests to be similar to their own.They cant seem to separate from their children in their mind. If they love science, they maytry to force their child to love science too. But what if their childs true love is art, or writing, orcar repair?

Parents are usually eager to pass on their value to their children. But should children alwaysbelieve what their parents do? Maybe different generations need different ways of thinking.When children are young, they believe that their parents are always rights. But when they getolder, they realize there are other views. Sometimes parents, especially older ones, cantkeep up with rapid social or technology changes. A student who has friends of all differentraces and backgrounds at school may find that her parents dont really understand or valuethe digital revolution. Sometimes kids have to find their own ways to what they believe in.

The most important thing to realize is that we all have many teachers in our lives. Our parentsteach us, our teachers teach us, and our peers teach us. Books and newspapers andtelevision also teach us. All of them are valuable.

(316 words)




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People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, newexperiences, career preparation, increased knowledge).

Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons andexamples to support your answer.



model answer:

People attend colleges or universities for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the threemost common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increasetheir knowledge of themselves and the world around them.

Career preparation is becoming more and more important to young people. For many, this isthe primary reason to go to college. They know that the job market is competitive. At college,they can learn new skill for careers with a lot of opportunities. This means careers, such asinformation technology, that are expected to need a large workforce in the coming years.

Also, students go to colleges and universities to have new experiences. This often meanshaving the opportunity to meet people different from those in their hometowns. For moststudents, going to college is the first time theyve been away from home by themselves. Inadditions, this is the first time theyve had to make decisions on their own. Making thesedecisions increases their knowledge of themselves.

Besides looking for self-knowledge, people also attend a university or college to expand theirknowledge in subjects they find interesting. For many, this will be their last chance for a longtime to learn about something that doesnt relate to their career.

I would recommend that people not be so focused on a career. They should go to college tohave new experiences and learn about themselves and the world they live in.

(243 words)




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In many countries today, the eating habits and lifestyle of children are different fromthose of previous generations. Some people say this has had a negative effect on theirhealth.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?



model answer:

It has recently been suggested that the way children eat and live nowadays has led to adeterioration in their health. I entirely agree with this view, and believe that this alarmingsituation has come about for several reasons.

To begin with, there is the worrying increase in the amount of processed food that childrenare eating at home, with little or none of the fresh fruit and vegetables that earlier generationsate every day. Secondly, more and more young people are choosing to eat in fast-foodrestaurants, which may be harmless occasionally, but not every day. What they eat there isextremely high in fat, salt and sugar, all of which can be damaging to their health.

There is also a disturbing decline in the amount of exercise they get. Schools have becomeobsessed with exams, with the shocking result that some pupils now do no sports at all. Tomake matters worse, few even get any exercise on the way to and from school, as most ofthem go in their parents cars rather than walk or cycle. Finally, children are spending farmore time at home, playing computer games, watching TV or surfing the Internet. They nolonger play outside with friends or take part in challenging outdoor activities.

To sum up, although none of these changes could, on its own, have caused widespread harmto childrens health, there can be little doubt that all of them together have had a devastatingeffect. This, in my opinion, can only be reversed by encouraging children to return to movetraditional ways of eating and living.

(267 words)




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The number of overweight children in developed countries is increasing. Some peoplethink this is due to problems such as the growing number of fast food outlets. Othersbelieve that parents are to blame for not looking after their children's health.

To what extent do you agree with these views?



model answer:

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that children are overweight and the situation is gettingworse, according to the medical experts. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.

Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foodssuch as chips and fried chicken, at low prices. This has created a whole generation of adultswho have never cooked a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, thenchildren would not be tempted to buy take-away food.

There is another argument that blames the parents for allowing their children to becomeoverweight. I tend to agree with this view, because good eating habits begin early in life, longbefore children start to visit fast food outlets. If children are given chips and chocolate ratherthan nourishing food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for thesweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.

There is a third factor, however, which contributes to the situation. Children these days takevery little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of thetelevision or their computers and play video games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime, italso gives them time to eat more junk food. What they need is to go outside and play activegames or sport.

The two views discussed play an equal role in contributing to the problem, but I think we haveto encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast foodoutlets and bad eating habits. We need to have a balanced approach.

Position: Writer refers to a number of reasons in the introduction, and to the need for abalanced view in the conclusion.

Main ideas: First sentence of the second paragraph; first and second sentences of the third

paragraph; second sentence of the fourth paragraph.

Linkers: and, according to, some people, such as, if, then, there is another argument,because, or, there is a third factor, however, not only, also, the two views discussed, but, aswell as

Reference words: the, this, who, themselves, these, this view, they, their, them

Topic vocabulary: medical experts, shops, unhealthy, fatty foods, chips, cooked, take-awayfood, chocolate, sweet and salty, exercise, walk, television, computers, video games,unhealthy pastime, junk food, active games, sport, fast food outlets

Sentence types: A wide range of complex structures and sentences is used.

Length: 286 words


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Nowadays we are producing more and more rubbish.Why do you think this is happening?

What can governments do to help reduce the amount of rubbish produced?


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model answer:

I think it is true that in almost every country today each household and family produces alarge amount of waste every week. Most of this rubbish comes from the packaging from thethings we buy, such as processed food. But even if we buy fresh food without packaging, westill produce rubbish from the plastic bags used everywhere to carry shopping home.

The reason why we have so much packaging is that we consume so much more on a dailybasis than families did in the past. Convenience is also very important in modern life, so webuy packaging or canned food that can be transported from long distances and stored untillwe need it, first in the supermarket, and then at home.

However, I think the amount of waste produce is also a result of our tendency to usesomething once and throw it away. We forget that even the cheapest plastic bag has used upvaluable resources and energy to produce. We also forget that it is a source of pollution anddifficult to dispose of.

I think, therefore, that governments need to raise this awareness in the general public.Children can be educated about environmental issues at school, but adults need to takeaction. Governments can encourage such action by putting taxes on packaging, such asplastic bags, by providing recycling services and by thing households and shops that do notattempt to recycle their waste.

With the political will, such measures could really reduce the amount of rubbish we produce.

Certainly nobody wants to see our resources used up and our planet poisoned by waste.

(270 words)


The graph below gives information about the preferred leisure activities of Australianchildren.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown.


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model answer:

The graph shows the preferred leisure sctivities of Australian children aged 5-14. As might beexpected, it is clear from the data that sedentary pursuits are far more popular nowadays than

active ones.

Of the 10,000 children that were interviewed, all the boys and girls stated that they enjoyedwatching TV or videos in their spare time. In addition, the second most popular activity,attracting 80% of boys and 60% of girls, was playing electronic or computer games. Whilegirls rated activities such as art and craft highly just under 60% stated that they enjoyedthese in their spare time only 35% of boys opted for creative pastimes. Bike riding, on theother hand, was almost as popular as electronic games amongst boys and, perhapssurprisingly, almost 60% of girls said that they enjoyed this too. Skateboarding was relativelyless popular amongst both boys and girls, although it still attracted 35% of boys and 25% ofgirls.

(157 words)


The table below provide information on rental charges and salaries in three areas ofLondon.



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Weekly rents per property (/w) Salaries needed (/year)

Area

Notting Hill

Regent's Park

Fulham

1 bed 2 bed 3 bed

375 485 738

325 450 650

215 390 600

1 bed 2 bed 3 bed

98,500 127,500 194,000

85,500 118,000 170,500

56,500 102,500 157,500

model answer:

The table shows two sets of related information: the relative cost, in pounds, of renting aproperty with one, two or three bedrooms in three different suburbs of London and an

indication of the kind of annual salary you would need to be earning to rent in these areas.

Of the three areas mentioned, Notting Hill is the most expensive with weekly rents starting at375 (salary approximately f 100,000) and rising to 738 per week for a 3-bedroom property.To afford this, you would require a salary in the region of 200,000 per annum. Alternatively,Fulham is the cheapest area shown with rents ranging from 215 per week for a one bedroomproperty to 600 per week for a 3-bedroom property. To rent in this area, salaries need to besomewhere between 85,000 and 170,000 depending on the number of bedrooms required.For those able to pay in the middle price range for accommodation, Regent's Park might be amore suitable district.

(163 words)


The diagrams below give information about the Eiffel Tower in Paris and an outlineproject to extend it underground.



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model answer:


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The Eiffel Tower is situated close to the Seine River in Paris. It is a metal structure that is1,063 feet high and weighs 7,417 tonnes. The tower has been a tourist attraction since 1889,when it was built, and there are 1,665 steps that can be climbed in order to reach the twoviewing platforms.

There are now plans to build below the foundations of the tower. These plans include the

development of five underground levels that will incorporate the tower's ticket office, shoppingfacilities, a cinema and museum and two floors of underground parking.

Although details have yet to be finalised, the principle is that the five floors will be connectedby two vertical passenger lifts on either side of the tower. In addition, the floor immediatelybelow the tower, which is planned to house the ticket office, will also consist of a large atriumwith a glass ceiling so that visitors can look directly up at the tower itself.

(162 words)



50/74

The diagram below gives the information about the Hawaiian island chain in the centreof the Pacific Ocean.



model answer:

The Hawaiian island chain, in the centre of the Pacific Ocean, is approximately 2,700 km inlength. It is formed of volcanoes and the active ones are at the south-east tip of the

archipelago, where Hawaii itself is located.

It is believed that the chain began to form nearly 80 million years ago. Each island started toevolve after an eruption on the sea floor. First, a hot spot' existed on the ocean bed, which letout a plume of material called magma. This magma may originate as deep as 2,883km belowthe ocean bed. Next, further eruptions took place, which built up the volcano. Eventually, itemerged above the surface of the ocean.

Since that time, the spume of magma has remained static as the Pacific tectonic plate movesin a north-west direction across it at a speed of 7-9cm per year. As it moves, a volcano formsas it passes over the hotspot and then become inactive when it has passed it.

(164 words)



51/74

The bar chart below shows the results of a survey conducted by a personneldepartment at a major company. The survey was carried out on two groups of workers:those aged from 18-30 and those aged 45-60, and shows factors affecting their workperformance.



model answer:

The bar chart indicates a survey on two different age groups on the factors contributing tomake their environment pleasant for working.

These factors are divided into external and internal factors. The internal factors are teamspirit, competent boss, respect from colleagues and job satisfaction. The external factors arechance for personal development, job security, promotional prospects and money.

On the internal factors above 50% in both age groups agreed that team spirit, competent bossand job satisfaction are essential to make their environment pleasant. Whereas on theexternal factors, there are contrasting results. On the chance for personal development andpromotional aspects, 80% to 90% of the younger groups were in favor while only less than50% of the older group thought so. A similar pattern is also noted on job security. Withregards to money, 69% to 70% on both age group said it is essential.


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In conclusion, the internal factors have similar responses from the two age groups while theyhad dissimilar responses on the external factors.

(170 words)

This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 7score. Here is theexaminer's comment:

The information contained in the bar chart has been described accurately and concisely andfollows a clear progression. There is a clear introduction followed by effective comparisonsbetween the age groups and a valid conclusion. Good formulaic phrases (the bar chartindicates, these factors are divided), although the candidate uses the same language todescribe the factors in the bar chart and does not attempt to rephrase them in any way.



53/74

The graph below compares the number of visits to two new music sites on the web.



model answer:

The graph shows people using new music places on the Internet in fifteen days period of time

namely personal choice and trendy pop music.

The overall trend shows fluctuation with slight Increased towards the end of the period.

Starting with Music Choice websites; 40,000 poeple went on this new site on first-day. Half ofthem backed out the next day. In Contrast to this Pop Parade net sites were visited by120,000 music lovers on day one which decreased slightly on the next day thereafterregaining the same fame on 3rd day.

After 3rd day the enthusiasm for both music lines on Internet dropped slowly- reachingmaximum fall of 40,000 on 7th day. Whereas Music choice gained popularity, slightlyImprooving to get the original strength of 30,000 viewers on screen, but was getting still lessvisiters than their opponent Pop group i.e. 40,000 on day 7.

In the biegining of the next week both gained remarkable recovery after a few fluctuations for8th and 9th day having 40,000 and 50,000 visiters respectively, reaching to their peaks of oneand a half thousand new viewers for Pop Parade on 11th day showing a contrast of very fewpeople visiting Music choice for the same day. Thereafter Music choice gained popularity on12th day for having more than 120,000 new visiters on web.

In the end of the period Pop sites were visited by maximum viewers of 180,000 whereas siteslocated to Music choice were not explored by more than 80,000 explorers on the last day ofthe report.

(257 words)


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Well organized with some good linking devices and collocations (gain popularity, remarkablerecovery, decrease slightly) and some valid comparison of the music sites. However, some

sentences are long and confusing (paragraph 5), some collocations are inaccurate (slightincreased, reaching to their peaks) and there is some repetition (7th day, 3rd day, 11 th day).Some words are spelt incorrectly (poeple, Improoving, visiters, biegining).


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The charts below show the percentage of their food budget the average family spenton restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten infast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.



model answer:

Over the past 30 years, the average family has dramatically increased the number of mealsthat they eat at restaurants. The percentage of the family's food budget spent on restaurantmeals steadily climbed. Just 10 percent of the food budget was spent on restaurant meals in

1970, and 15 percent in 1980. That percentage more than doubled in 1990, to 35 percent,and rose again in 2000 to 50 percent.


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Where families eat their restaurant meals also changed during that 30-year period. In 1970,families ate the same number of meals at fast food and sit-down restaurants. In 1980,families ate slightly more frequently at sit-down restaurants. However, since 1990, fast foodrestaurants serve more meals to the families than do the sit-down restaurants. Most of therestaurant meals from 2000 were eaten at fast food restaurants. If this pattern continues,eventually the number of meals that families eat at fast food restaurants could double the

number of meals they eat at sit-down restaurants.

(164 words)


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The take below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and makecomparisons where relevant.


Underground Railways Systems

City Date openedKilometres of

route

Passengers peryear

(in millions)

London 1863 394 775

Paris 1900 199 1191

Tokyo 1927 155 1927

Washington DC 1976 126 144

Kyoto 1981 11 45

Los Angeles 2001 28 50

model answer:

The table shows the details regarding the underground railway systems in six cities.

London has the oldest underground railway systems among the six cities. It was opened inthe year 1863, and it is already lye years old. Paris is the second oldest, in which it wasopened in the year 1900. This was then followed by the opening of the railway systems inTokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto. Los Angeles has the newest underground railway system,and was only opened in the year 2001. In terms of the size of the railway systems, London,For certain, has the largest underground railway systems. It has 394 kilometres of route intotal, which is nearly twice as large as the system in Paris. Kyoto, in contrast, has the smallestsystem. It only has 11 kilometres of route, which is more than 30 times less than that ofLondon.

Interestingly, Tokyo, which only has 155 kilometres of route, serves the greatest number of

passengers per year, at 1927 millions passengers. The system in Paris has the secondgreatest number of passengers, at 1191 millions passengers per year. The smallestunderground railway system, Kyoto, serves the smallest number of passengers per year aspredicted.

In conclusion, the underground railway systems in different cities vary a lot in the site of thesystem, the number of passengers served per year and in the age of the system.

(233 words)


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This answer selects and describes the information well. Key features are clearly identified,while unexpected differences are highlighted and illustrated. The answer is relevant andaccurate with a clear overview.

Information is well-organised using a good range of signals and link words. These aregenerally accurate and appropriate, although occasional errors occur.The writer successfully uses some less common words. There is a clear awareness of stylebut there are occasional inaccuracies and there is some repetition. Grammar is well-controlled and sentences are varied and generally accurate with only minor errors.


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The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for thetown. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make

comparisons where relevant.



model answer:

The first potential location (S1) is outside the town itself, and is sited just off the main road tothe town of Hindon, lying 12 kms to the north-west. This site is in the countryside and sowould be able to accommodate a lot of car parking. This would make it accessable toshoppers from both Hindon and Garlsdon who could travel by car. As it is also close to therailway line linking the who towns to Cransdon (25 km to the south-east), a potentially largenumber of shoppers would also be able to travel by train.

In contrast, the suggested location, S2, is right in the town centre, which would be good forlocal residents. Theorically the store could be accessed by road or rail from the surrounding


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towns, including Bransdon, but as the central area is a no-traffic zone, cars would be unableto park and access would be difficult.

Overall, neither site is appropriate for all the towns, but for customers in Cransdon, Hindonand Garlsdon, the out-of-town site (S1) would probably offer more advantages.

(179 words)


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In June 1996, an experimental flu vaccine was trialled in a large country town onfemales only.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make

comparisons where relevant.




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model answer:

The diagrams show data for a flu epidemic which hit a large country town in 1996. Figure 1gives the number of persons who died; Figure 2 shows the percentage breakdown of femaleswho received a new flu vaccine; and Figure 3 gives the number of cases of flu before andduring the epidemic.

In Figure 1 it can be seen that the flu was responsible for the deaths of 2 females but no

males in the period from March to May. However, from June to August, there were 4 femaledeaths and 1 male death.

According to the pie chart in Figure 2, only those females most at risk were given the new fluvaccine; 28% did not take part in the trial. Of those females who took part, 35% were aged(over 65 years old); 24% were babies or children; and 13% were either hospitalised orreceiving other medical attention.

From Figure 3 it is clear that the new vaccine had a positive effect on the number of newcases of flu reported in females. There were just over 1000 cases reported in March, climbingrapidly to a peak of 3500 in June. Thereafter, the number of cases dropped slowly to about2800 in August, before levelling off at 2500 for the rest of the year. For males, the figureswere lower but showed a similar trend throughout the epidemic.

(232 words)


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The table below shows CO2 emissions for different forms of transport in the EuropeanUnion.

The Pie Chart shows the percentage of European Union funds being spent on different

forms of transport.




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model answer:

The chart shows CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre for variuos methods of transport inthe European Union while the pie chart shows European Union spending on transport. Flyingby air produces by far the greatest CO2 emissions, approximately three times as much as

passenger cars which are the next largest producers. Very little is spent by the EU on airtravel while roads make up more than half of the EU transport budget.

Trains produce about three times less CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre thanpassenger cars and eight times less than air travel. Nearly a third of EU transport funds arespent on railways.

Ships are a clean form of transport and produce about the same amount of CO2 perpass

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Academic Ielts Essay Writing Task2 24 (1)