The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in urban areas in different parts of the world.
Sample Response
The above bar chart displays the details about urbanization in different regions of the world and is measured in percentage. The information is represented in 3 different years 1950, 2007, and future estimation of the year 2050.
If we compare the phase between 1950 & 2007, the population of Latin America almost doubled from 43% to 76%, and for Africa, the percentage is increased almost 2.5 times from 15% to 37%. for Asia, the increase was also more than twice ranging from 17% to 41% Population growth was less than 50% for continents like Europe, North America and Oceania which stands at 72%, 79%, and 71% respectively.
Now if we talk about future projections, North America accounts for the most number of population which is to be 90% in 2050 which is followed by Latin America and Europe which is around 89& 84% respectively. The least population expected in 2050 is Arica to have 62% of the urban population.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use the right term Original: phase Suggested revision: period Why it matters: A span between two years is a period, not a phase.
- 2. Use formal conjunction Original: 1950 & 2007 Suggested revision: 1950 and 2007 Why it matters: Use the conjunction rather than an ampersand in formal prose.
- 3. Name the measured share Original: the population of Latin America Suggested revision: the urban population share in Latin America Why it matters: The chart measures the percentage living in urban areas, not the total population.
- 4. Correct the tense Original: the percentage is increased Suggested revision: the percentage increased Why it matters: Use the simple past to report the change from 1950 to 2007.
- 5. Use natural phrasing Original: almost 2.5 times Suggested revision: about two and a half times Why it matters: This wording expresses the proportional comparison more naturally.
- 6. Start the sentence correctly Original: . for Asia Suggested revision: . For Asia Why it matters: The new sentence requires a capital letter after the full stop.
- 7. Use a change verb Original: twice Suggested revision: doubled Why it matters: A verb describes the increase from 17% to 41% more directly.
- 8. Describe a change Original: ranging Suggested revision: rising Why it matters: A range is static, whereas these figures show a rise over time.
- 9. Separate the sentences Original: 41% Population Suggested revision: 41%. Urban population Why it matters: A full stop is needed between these independent statements.
- 10. Use a concise transition Original: Now if we talk about Suggested revision: Turning to Why it matters: This creates a more concise formal transition to the projections.
- 11. Report a proportion Original: accounts for the most number of population Suggested revision: has the highest urban population percentage Why it matters: The chart reports percentages rather than numbers of people.
- 12. Express the projection Original: which is to be 90% Suggested revision: projected to reach 90% Why it matters: This correctly expresses a forecast for 2050.
Suggested Rewrites
- phase period
- 1950 & 2007 1950 and 2007
- the population of Latin America the urban population share in Latin America
- the percentage is increased the percentage increased
- almost 2.5 times about two and a half times
- . for Asia . For Asia
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response reports several relevant figures and separates past data from future projections, so its basic progression is easy to follow. Its main limitation is the absence of a clear overview, alongside important omissions and imprecise descriptions of percentages as population growth. The priority is to summarise the universal upward trend and regional ranking, then support that overview with accurate, selective comparisons across all three years.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response presents some accurate regional figures but lacks a clear overview and omits several important comparisons, including much of the 1950 and 2050 data.
Add an explicit overview of the rise in every region and the consistently highest and lowest regions, then compare representative figures accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion
The three-paragraph structure gives the report a broadly logical sequence, although progression within the long data sentences is sometimes mechanical or abrupt.
Group the regions by similar patterns and use shorter comparison sentences with clearer punctuation and referencing.
Lexical Resource
There is a sufficient range of task vocabulary, including terms such as urbanization and projections, but several choices are imprecise or awkward.
Refer consistently to the proportion or percentage of urban residents and replace phrases such as most number of population with precise chart language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures is attempted, but agreement, tense, article, capitalization, and sentence-boundary errors recur throughout.
Control clause boundaries and subject-verb agreement, particularly in sentences containing several regional comparisons.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in urban areas in different parts of the world.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.