The graph below shows the changes in the maximum number of Asian elephants between 1994 and 2007.
Sample Response
The graph shows the estimated maximumhighest population of elephants in nine different Asian countries. Overall, India had the highest number of elephants and apart from Cambodia and Laosexcept in Cambodia and Laos, the number of elephants generally declineddeclined noticeably. According to the graph, elephant populations in most listed countries fellelephants in most of the countries in the list fell in 2004 compared with 1997in 2004 than that of earlier 1997. This was most pronouncedmore prevalent in Malaysia and Thailand where their populationsthe number of this species dropped to less than half the figure in 1997. In MalaysiaIn the former, the number of elephants fell to about 1,000fell as low as 1000. India remained the country with by far the largest elephant population but declined substantiallyexperienced a dramatic decline in the number of elephants in seven years. China had the smallest populationleast number of elephants which was only about 1,000a thousand only and this decreased to about half that figurehalf of that in seven years. Although the trend was downwards overall, the elephant population in Laos and Vietnam remained almost the same, just over a thousand. The only country where elephantelephant's population actually grew was Cambodia, where the number increased by 200.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response identifies the dominant pattern and supports it with useful comparisons, particularly the steep falls in Malaysia and Thailand and India's continued lead. However, its overview overstates the extent of decline and conflicts with the later statement that Vietnam was broadly stable, while several comparative sentences are grammatically awkward. The priority is to make the overview fully consistent with the chart and express comparisons more accurately.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The report presents a clear overall decline and several accurate key figures, but it overgeneralizes the trend and gives uneven coverage of the countries.
State that most populations fell while Cambodia rose and Laos was stable, then distinguish the slight falls from the sharpest declines.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response moves coherently from the overview to major declines and exceptions, although one overview claim conflicts with a later detail.
Organize the details into a declining-country group and a stable-or-rising group so the overview and evidence align.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient range for trends and comparisons, with some imprecise or awkward wording such as 'fell in 2004 than that of earlier 1997.'
Use controlled comparative phrases such as 'fell from X to Y,' 'was less than half its earlier level,' and 'remained broadly stable.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures communicates meaning clearly, but errors in comparison, agreement, reference, and possession recur.
Focus on accurate comparative clauses and noun forms, especially 'the population fell,' 'compared with 1997,' and 'the elephant population.'
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph below shows the changes in the maximum number of Asian elephants between 1994 and 2007.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.