The charts below show the percentage of food budget the average family spent on restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.
Sample Response
The pie charts outline the ratio of food budget people spent on preparing meals at home and on restaurant meals and the line graph delineates what type of outside food people preferred between 1970 and 2000. Overall, people’s spending on restaurant meals increased significantly over the period and fast food became more popular over the time. As is presented in the illustration, people spent 10% of their food budget to have outside meals in 1970 and this spending ratio enlarged each decade. In 1990, they spent more than one-third of the meal budget to eat at restaurants and finally in 2000, people spent half of their food budget to eat outside. The line graph shows that people ate 20 fast food meals in 1970 and the same number of sitdown eatery meals in this year. After a decade, the number of sitdown dining occurrence went slightly higher than the number of fast food meals they had. However, the popularity of fast food remarkably increased and people ate as high as 90 meals in fast food shops in 2000 when they had around 50 sitdown meals in this year.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Complete noun phrase Original: the ratio of food budget people spent Suggested revision: the proportion of their food budget that people spent Why it matters: The original phrase is missing a possessive determiner and a relative clause linking the budget to the spending.
- 2. Describe measured frequency Original: delineates what type of outside food people preferred Suggested revision: shows how often people ate in fast-food and sit-down restaurants Why it matters: The graph records numbers of meals rather than food preferences.
- 3. Remove extra article Original: over the time Suggested revision: over time Why it matters: The fixed time expression does not take an article here.
- 4. Use precise collocation Original: to have outside meals Suggested revision: on restaurant meals Why it matters: A budget is spent on meals, and restaurant meals matches the chart label precisely.
- 5. Describe proportional growth Original: this spending ratio enlarged Suggested revision: this proportion increased Why it matters: Proportions increase rather than enlarge.
- 6. Match chart category Original: meal Suggested revision: food Why it matters: The visual measures the total food budget, not a separate meal budget.
- 7. Use natural terminology Original: the same number of sitdown eatery meals in this year Suggested revision: the same number of sit-down restaurant meals that year Why it matters: This revision uses the chart's restaurant category and removes awkward wording.
- 8. Correct count phrase Original: the number of sitdown dining occurrence Suggested revision: the number of sit-down restaurant meals Why it matters: Occurrence needs a plural form after number, while restaurant meals is clearer and more accurate.
- 9. Use trend language Original: went slightly higher than Suggested revision: rose slightly above Why it matters: Rose above is the more precise expression for one plotted series overtaking another.
- 10. Use concise chart reference Original: As is presented in the illustration Suggested revision: As shown in the charts Why it matters: The revision is more concise and accurately refers to the two visuals.
- 11. Show endpoint progression Original: finally in 2000 Suggested revision: by 2000 Why it matters: By 2000 expresses the endpoint of the rising trend more directly.
- 12. Fix spending collocation Original: to eat outside Suggested revision: on restaurant meals Why it matters: A proportion of a budget is spent on meals rather than to eat.
Suggested Rewrites
- the ratio of food budget people spent the proportion of their food budget that people spent
- delineates what type of outside food people preferred shows how often people ate in fast-food and sit-down restaurants
- over the time over time
- to have outside meals on restaurant meals
- this spending ratio enlarged this proportion increased
- meal food
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response presents a clear overview and accurately captures the main rise in restaurant spending and the growing dominance of fast food, supported by several relevant figures. Its main limitation is selective coverage, especially the omission of the 1980 budget figure and most intermediate meal-frequency data; the highest priority is to compare more of the key values across both charts while retaining the concise organisation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
A clear overview and several accurate figures cover both visuals, though some important intermediate data are omitted.
Include the 1980 restaurant-budget figure and compare the 1990 meal frequencies to provide more complete coverage.
Coherence and Cohesion
The report progresses logically from the overview to budget changes and then restaurant types, with clear linking throughout.
Use separate body paragraphs for the pie charts and line graph to make the visual grouping even clearer.
Lexical Resource
The response shows good range, but collocations such as 'spending ratio enlarged' and 'sitdown dining occurrence' are unnatural.
Prefer precise chart language such as 'the proportion rose' and 'the number of sit-down meals' when reporting changes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures is generally controlled, with only occasional agreement, article, and phrasing errors.
Check noun-number agreement and article use in phrases such as 'the number of sit-down dining occurrences'.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The charts below show the percentage of food budget the average family spent on restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.