The line graph below shows the household recycling rates in three different countries between 2005 and 2015. Regional household recycling rates
Sample Response
The given line graph compares the proportion of domestic waste recycling in the UK, France and Germany from 2005 to 2015. Overall, the recycling rates in the UK and Germany increased over the period while it actually decreased in France. According to the given illustration, the household recycling rate in France was 50% in 2005 which was approximately 13% and 30% higher than that of the UK and Germany respectively. After four years, recycling quotient in these three countries stood at around 40% and the pace actually increases during this period both in Germany and the UK while it dropped in France. The recycling rate in France kept on falling and in 2013 it recycled around 30% household garbage. In the meantime, the recycling rate in Germany and the UK continually improved and both countries recycled over 50% wastages in 2013. In the final year, the household recycling rate in France went high than that of 2013 and stood at 40%. In this year household recycling ratio in the UK was highest, over 60% and in Germany, it was around 58%.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Natural collocation Original: domestic waste recycling Suggested revision: household recycling Why it matters: This matches the chart title more directly.
- 2. Clear subject reference Original: while it actually decreased in France Suggested revision: whereas the rate in France decreased overall Why it matters: This avoids the unclear pronoun it.
- 3. Use points Original: approximately 13% Suggested revision: about 14 percentage points Why it matters: The comparison is a difference between rates.
- 4. Use points Original: 30% higher Suggested revision: 30 percentage points higher Why it matters: France was about 50% and Germany about 20% in 2005.
- 5. Wrong term Original: recycling quotient Suggested revision: recycling rates Why it matters: Quotient is not natural for this chart.
- 6. Add precision Original: stood at around 40% Suggested revision: were close to 40% for the UK and France, while Germany was just above 30% Why it matters: Germany was not around 40% in 2009.
- 7. Tense agreement Original: the pace actually increases Suggested revision: the rates increased Why it matters: Use past tense and refer to rates rather than pace.
- 8. Natural order Original: both in Germany and the UK Suggested revision: in both Germany and the UK Why it matters: This is the standard word order.
- 9. Use chart term Original: household garbage Suggested revision: household waste Why it matters: Waste is more neutral and appropriate.
- 10. Unnatural noun Original: wastages Suggested revision: waste Why it matters: Waste is normally uncountable here.
- 11. Comparative form Original: went high than Suggested revision: rose above Why it matters: The original comparative is ungrammatical.
- 12. Natural phrasing Original: ratio in the UK was highest Suggested revision: rate in the UK was the highest Why it matters: Rate is the better term for this chart.
Suggested Rewrites
- domestic waste recycling household recycling
- while it actually decreased in France whereas the rate in France decreased overall
- approximately 13% about 14 percentage points
- 30% higher 30 percentage points higher
- recycling quotient recycling rates
- stood at around 40% were close to 40% for the UK and France, while Germany was just above 30%
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The response gives a clear overview: the UK and Germany rose while France fell overall. It reports most major figures accurately, including France at 50% in 2005, the UK above 60% in 2015 and Germany near 58%, though the 2009 comparison is slightly imprecise.
Add the crossover around 2009 and distinguish Germany’s lower 2009 rate from the UK and France.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically sequenced from the starting point to the final year. Several long sentences include too many comparisons, but progression remains clear.
Split the middle-years explanation into one sentence for France and one for the UK and Germany.
Lexical Resource
The range is suitable for line-graph reporting, but expressions such as recycling quotient, wastages and went high are unnatural.
Use recycling rate, household waste, rose to, fell to and reached consistently.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Grammar is mostly clear, with errors in articles, subject-verb agreement and comparative forms. These errors rarely obscure the data.
Check comparative structures such as higher than and maintain past-tense reporting.