The graph and table give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.
Sample Response
The charts compare the amount of water used for agriculture, industry and homes around the world, and water use in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is clear that global water needs rose significantly between 1900 and 2000, and that agriculture accounted for the largest proportion of water used. We can also see that water consumption was considerably higher in Brazil than in the Congo.
In 1900, around 500km³ of water was used by the agriculture sector worldwide. The figures for industrial and domestic water consumption stood at around one fifth of that amount. By 2000, global water use for agriculture had increased to around 3000km³, industrial water use had risen to just under half that amount, and domestic consumption had reached approximately 500km³.
In the year 2000, the populations of Brazil and the Congo were 176 million and 5.2 million respectively. Water consumption per person in Brazil, at 359m³, was much higher than that in the Congo, at only 8m³, and this could be explained by the fact that Brazil had 265 times more irrigated land.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Name both visuals Original: The charts Suggested revision: The graph and table Why it matters: The task contains one line graph and one table rather than two charts of the same kind.
- 2. Use chart terminology Original: homes Suggested revision: domestic purposes Why it matters: Domestic purposes matches the sector label more precisely.
- 3. Describe measured quantity Original: needs Suggested revision: use Why it matters: The graph measures actual use rather than need.
- 4. Specify sector-wide trend Original: rose significantly between 1900 and 2000 Suggested revision: rose in all three sectors between 1900 and 2000 Why it matters: This wording makes the main trend across agriculture, industry, and domestic use explicit.
- 5. Match graph measure Original: proportion Suggested revision: volume Why it matters: The vertical axis reports cubic kilometres, so volume is the precise measure.
- 6. Use adjective form Original: agriculture Suggested revision: agricultural Why it matters: Agricultural is the correct adjective before sector.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: Water consumption per person in Brazil, at 359m³, was much higher than that in the Congo, at only 8m³, and this could be explained by the fact that Brazil had 265 times more irrigated land. Suggested revision: Water consumption per person was 359m³ in Brazil and only 8m³ in the Congo, while the two countries had 26,500km² and 100km² of irrigated land respectively. Why it matters: The table supports comparison of the figures but does not establish that irrigated land caused the difference in consumption.
- 8. Develop the time trend Suggested revision: Add that growth accelerated after the middle of the century while agricultural use remained dominant throughout. Why it matters: This would capture an important pattern visible across the full line graph rather than only its endpoints.
Suggested Rewrites
- The charts The graph and table
- homes domestic purposes
- needs use
- rose significantly between 1900 and 2000 rose in all three sectors between 1900 and 2000
- proportion volume
- agriculture agricultural
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is clear, compact, and highly accurate, with an effective overview and well-selected figures from both the graph and table. Its only notable limitation is the final causal explanation, which goes beyond what the visual directly establishes; the best refinement is to present the irrigated-land difference as a comparison and add one concise contrast between the growth patterns of the three sectors.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
A clear overview and accurate key figures cover both visuals well, although the final causal interpretation is not directly demonstrated by the data.
Replace the causal claim with a neutral comparison and briefly distinguish the much faster late-century growth in agricultural and industrial use.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically grouped into an introduction, overview, graph details, and country comparison, with smooth progression throughout.
Make the final relationship explicitly comparative so the paragraph closes on evidence rather than an inferred explanation.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and precise, with natural reporting phrases and accurate terminology for sectors, consumption, populations, and irrigated land.
Refine the final sentence with a neutral phrase such as corresponded with a far larger area of irrigated land.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence structures is used accurately and flexibly, with punctuation and agreement consistently controlled.
Maintain this control while framing the last comparison without the speculative structure could be explained by.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph and table give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.