The tables below provide information about the consumption and production of potatoes in five parts of the world in 2006.
Sample Response
The table data provides information on potato consumption and production in different parts of the world in 2006. Overall, average potato intake in Europe was the highest while Asia and Europe were the major potato producers in 2006. As the data suggests, an average European ate slightly over 96 kilograms potato in 2006 which was higher than the potato consumption in other parts of the world. With roughly 58 kg potato consumption per person in 2006, North America stood at the second top position. Asia, despite its highest potato accumulation, accounted for roughly 26 kg per person potato intake. South and Central American citizens ate more than 23 kg per person while the least potato consumption could be observed in Africa, just over 14 kg per African. Asian countries produced over 131 million tonnes potato in 2006 which was significantly higher than the potato growth in Africa and America. Europe’s potato harvesting was the second largest, approximately 5 million tonnes less than that of Asia. It is worth noticing that Asia and Europe were the principal potato growers in 2006.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Match plural tables Original: The table data provides Suggested revision: The tables provide Why it matters: The task contains two tables, so a plural subject and verb are required.
- 2. Add measure preposition Original: 96 kilograms potato Suggested revision: 96 kilograms of potatoes Why it matters: A weight quantity is followed by ‘of’ before the measured noun.
- 3. Restructure measurement phrase Original: 58 kg potato consumption per person Suggested revision: per-capita potato consumption of roughly 58 kg Why it matters: The revised noun phrase places the quantity and per-person measure grammatically.
- 4. Use natural ranking Original: second top position Suggested revision: second place Why it matters: ‘Second place’ is the standard expression for this ranking.
- 5. Use production term Original: accumulation Suggested revision: production Why it matters: ‘Accumulation’ does not describe the amount of potatoes produced.
- 6. Restructure intake phrase Original: 26 kg per person potato intake Suggested revision: per-capita potato intake of roughly 26 kg Why it matters: The revised order forms a grammatical measurement phrase.
- 7. Use direct comparison Original: least potato consumption could be observed Suggested revision: lowest potato consumption was recorded Why it matters: The direct passive construction is clearer and more natural for table data.
- 8. Refer to the region Original: 14 kg per African Suggested revision: 14 kg per person in Africa Why it matters: The table reports a regional per-person average rather than consumption by ethnicity.
- 9. Add measure preposition Original: 131 million tonnes potato Suggested revision: 131 million tonnes of potatoes Why it matters: The weight expression requires ‘of’ before the product measured.
- 10. Compare production accurately Original: potato growth in Africa and America Suggested revision: potato production in Africa and the Americas Why it matters: ‘Production’ matches the table, while ‘the Americas’ appropriately covers both listed American regions.
- 11. State the scope Original: different parts of the world Suggested revision: five regions of the world Why it matters: The task specifies five regional categories rather than an unspecified number of areas.
- 12. Make ranking direct Original: average potato intake in Europe was the highest Suggested revision: Europe had the highest average potato intake Why it matters: The revised clause expresses the regional ranking more directly.
Suggested Rewrites
- The table data provides The tables provide
- 96 kilograms potato 96 kilograms of potatoes
- 58 kg potato consumption per person per-capita potato consumption of roughly 58 kg
- second top position second place
- accumulation production
- 26 kg per person potato intake per-capita potato intake of roughly 26 kg
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response provides a clear overview and accurately ranks regional consumption, supported by relevant figures, while also identifying Asia and Europe as the dominant producers. Its main limitation is imbalance: production for the three smaller regions is only mentioned generally, and several terms such as ‘accumulation’ and ‘harvesting’ are imprecise. Prioritise adding concise comparative production figures and using consistent consumption and production terminology.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The overview is accurate and consumption is covered well, but production details are largely restricted to Asia and Europe.
Add a concise comparison showing North America at 24.7 million tonnes and Africa and South and Central America at roughly 16 million each.
Coherence and Cohesion
The progression from overview to consumption and then production is logical, but the single paragraph and repeated closing point weaken organisation slightly.
Use separate paragraphs for consumption and production and avoid repeating that Asia and Europe were the principal producers.
Lexical Resource
The response uses varied comparative language, though several potato-related collocations are unnatural or imprecise despite clear meaning.
Replace ‘accumulation’, ‘growth’, and ‘harvesting’ with ‘production’, and use forms such as ‘kilograms of potatoes per person’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of complex sentences is generally controlled, with recurring but non-impeding article and noun-phrase errors.
Check quantified noun phrases, especially ‘96 kilograms of potatoes’, ‘per person’, and ‘131 million tonnes of potatoes’.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The tables below provide information about the consumption and production of potatoes in five parts of the world in 2006.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.