The chart below shows the GDP growth per year for three countries between 2007 and 2010.
Sample Response
The chart shows the annual GDP growth for three countries from 2007 to 2010. By the year 2007 the figure for Tunisia was by far the highest at close to 6.3% per annum. This figure is double that of Ecuador and three times that of Japan on a global level. However by 2008 this trend has changed considerably; the Japanese doubled their annual GDP over this period and there was also an increase in the GDP of Ecuador, while Tunisia fell to 4.5% per year. In 2009 and 2010, the downward trend for Tunisia continued falling to a low of 3% at the end of this period. For Ecuador, the GDP fell sharply to just under 1.5% in the year 2009 and rose only slightly in 2010 to 2.3%. On the other hand, for Japan, the GDP figure rose significantly throughout this time and by the year 2010 had more than matched the GDP figures for Tunisia of the year 2007.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use concise time phrase Original: By the year 2007 Suggested revision: In 2007 Why it matters: The shorter phrase states the chart year directly.
- 2. Remove unsupported scope Original: on a global level Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The chart compares only three named countries and does not support a global claim.
- 3. Add introductory comma Original: However by 2008 Suggested revision: However, by 2008 Why it matters: A comma should follow the introductory conjunctive adverb “However.”
- 4. Use past perfect Original: has Suggested revision: had Why it matters: Past perfect correctly places the change before the later past-time description.
- 5. Name the correct metric Original: the Japanese doubled their annual GDP Suggested revision: Japan's annual GDP growth rate more than doubled Why it matters: The bars show a growth rate rising from about 2% to just over 4%, not a doubling of total GDP.
- 6. Specify growth rate Original: the GDP of Ecuador Suggested revision: Ecuador's GDP growth rate Why it matters: The chart reports annual GDP growth rates rather than total GDP.
- 7. Specify the measure Original: the GDP fell sharply Suggested revision: the GDP growth rate fell sharply Why it matters: The fall shown is in Ecuador's annual growth rate, not in the size of its GDP.
- 8. Name the measure Original: the figure for Tunisia Suggested revision: Tunisia's growth rate Why it matters: Naming the measure avoids relying on the vague noun “figure.”
- 9. Use concise approximation Original: close to 6.3% per annum Suggested revision: approximately 6.3% Why it matters: This expresses the approximate annual rate without repeating the time unit.
- 10. Qualify the comparison Original: double that of Ecuador Suggested revision: approximately double Ecuador's figure Why it matters: Tunisia's 6.3% rate is only approximately twice Ecuador's 3.1% rate.
- 11. Refine the ratio Original: three times that of Japan Suggested revision: just over three times Japan's figure Why it matters: Tunisia's 6.3% rate is slightly more than three times Japan's 2% rate.
- 12. Specify the interval Original: over this period Suggested revision: between 2007 and 2008 Why it matters: The explicit years make the one-year comparison unambiguous.
Suggested Rewrites
- By the year 2007 In 2007
- on a global level Delete
- However by 2008 However, by 2008
- has had
- the Japanese doubled their annual GDP Japan's annual GDP growth rate more than doubled
- the GDP of Ecuador Ecuador's GDP growth rate
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response accurately reports the main movements and most key figures, and its comparative language makes the contrasting national trends easy to follow. The main limitation is that the overview is not clearly separated or succinctly stated, while wording about Japan doubling its annual GDP misrepresents a change in the growth rate. Prioritise a clear overall summary of Tunisia's decline, Japan's rise, and Ecuador's fluctuation, using precise metric language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The report covers the principal trends and relevant figures accurately, although the overall pattern is embedded in the details and Japan's growth rate is described imprecisely as its GDP.
Add a distinct overview summarising the three contrasting trajectories and consistently refer to annual GDP growth rather than GDP itself.
Coherence and Cohesion
The chronological progression and comparisons are easy to follow, but presenting the entire report as one paragraph weakens the hierarchy between overview and detail.
Separate the introduction, overview, and detailed comparisons into clear paragraphs while retaining the effective chronological progression.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of trend and comparison vocabulary, though expressions such as Japanese for Japan and on a global level are imprecise in this context.
Use country names and exact statistical phrasing so every lexical choice identifies the nation and the growth-rate measure precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex comparative and contrast structures are generally controlled, with only occasional awkward tense choices and punctuation lapses that do not impede meaning.
Keep the description consistently in the past tense and punctuate introductory linking expressions to sharpen sentence control.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below shows the GDP growth per year for three countries between 2007 and 2010.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.