IELTS Writing 1 - Task 1

Writing Tip

Do not write a rough draft, then re-write it. You will waste valuable time. Use time at the end to check for small errors: verb agreements, plurals, punctuation, verb tense. These things are easily corrected and effect what mark your work will receive.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the total value of exports and the value of fuel, food and manufactured goods exported by one country from 2000 to 2005.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Line Graph Line Graph

Model Answer

The graph shows the value of fuel, food, manufactured goods and the total value of exports in one country from 2000 to 2005.

As we can see the total value of exports grows up during last four years. In year 2000; 2001 and 2002 the total export was droping down, but after that situation gets better and the total export in year 2005 is nearly 450,000 million dollars.

We can see that the export of food is almost the same for all years, every year below 10,000 millions dollars. The export of fuel in year 2000 was about 45.000 million dollars but it was getting down and in year 2005 was only half this amount, what is mean 20.000 millions dollars. Manufactured food in the year 2000 was a little below 20.000 millions dollars and in the year 2005 a little above 20.000 million dollars.

(145 words)

Commentary


Task Achievement

The summary is factually accurate, and statements are supported by relevant data. In some respects, the writer focuses on the less interesting information in the graph and neglects to highlight more significant features. In particular, although the overall picture is summarised in the second paragraph, the writer fails to make explicit comparisons between the different export groups in the final paragraph, or summarise the main trends in those areas.

The first paragraph restates the task rubric with minor modification, so this loses marks in the assessment and a penalty is given for being underlength (145 words).

Coherence and Cohesion

Information is organised clearly and logically, and paragraphing is appropriate. Relationships within sentences are clearly signalled, for example (that) situation in the second paragraph. Phrases are also reduced as appropriate, for example and in the year 2005 a little above ... .

The answer may have attracted a higher band in this category if more use had been made of Linking Words to mark topic shifts, e.g. on the other hand in the third paragraph.

Lexical Resource

The range of vocabulary used in this answer is fairly narrow. To some extent this is probably a reflection of its shortness, but omissions are evident too. The writer does not always seem to use the most appropriate lexis for this type of summary, and resorts to phrases such as droping down, grows up, and gets better. The range of adverbs at the writer’s disposal also seems to be limited: using words such as sharply or slightly would have made a more accurate and suitable response. There is only one isolated spelling error: droping.

Despite some of the inadequacies referred to above, the answer is readily understandable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

In such a short answer there is not much scope for structural range, but the grammar is mainly accurate and produces an impression of fluency. The main problem is the inconsistent choice of verb forms: the mixture of present and past tenses is not always appropriate, neither is the mixture of simple and continuous forms: was droping, was getting down.

Marks


This answer would probably have achieved a Band 5, and may have achieved a Band 6 had it been at the required length.


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