The table illustrates the proportion of monthly household income spend on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment in five European countries. Proportion of household income five European countries spend on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment.
Sample Response
The table compares the allocation of monthly earning in five different European countries (France, Germany, UK, Turkey And Spain). According to the statistic, in general, it is clearly seen that most countries spend heavily of their income on housing compared to other household aspects.
To begin with, the largest allocation of income in terms of food and drink is experienced by Turkey. This figure stands at 36%, but other aspects, such as housing, clothing, and entertainment, are just under 30% of the proportion of monthly household income. In contrast, even though Germany’s citizens allocate just 22% of their earning in food and drink, but in other household aspects, they spend heavily than other countries. This figure is considered as the biggest expenditure.
Three countries, namely France, the UK, and Spain, have smaller proportions of household income in clothing. These stand at 7%, 11%, and 8%, but the largest expenditure in France is in housing, this figure is the same with the UK, at only 37%. However, the biggest allocation of monthly income in Spain is experienced in food and drink, at 31%. In entertainment aspect, most countries allocate just under 20% of their earning monthly.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use income noun Original: earning Suggested revision: income Why it matters: ‘Income’ is the natural uncountable noun for household earnings in this table.
- 2. Add country article Original: Germany, UK, Turkey Suggested revision: Germany, the UK, Turkey Why it matters: The country name ‘UK’ requires the definite article.
- 3. Refer to the table Original: statistic Suggested revision: table Why it matters: The source is a table containing several statistics, not a single statistic.
- 4. Correct spending structure Original: spend heavily of their income Suggested revision: spend a large share of their income Why it matters: ‘Spend heavily of’ is not a valid grammatical construction.
- 5. Use category terminology Original: compared to other household aspects Suggested revision: compared with the other categories Why it matters: ‘Categories’ precisely describes the four types of expenditure.
- 6. Describe table values Original: is experienced by Turkey Suggested revision: is recorded in Turkey Why it matters: A percentage is ‘recorded’ in a country rather than ‘experienced’ by it.
- 7. Match household unit Original: Germany’s citizens Suggested revision: German households Why it matters: The table concerns household income rather than individual citizens.
- 8. Correct noun and preposition Original: their earning in food and drink Suggested revision: their income on food and drink Why it matters: Use the uncountable noun ‘income’ and the spending preposition ‘on’.
- 9. Remove double conjunction Original: but in other household aspects Suggested revision: in the other categories Why it matters: ‘Even though’ already introduces the contrast, so ‘but’ must not be added.
- 10. Correct comparative form Original: spend heavily than other countries Suggested revision: spend more than the other countries Why it matters: The comparative construction requires ‘more than’, not ‘heavily than’.
- 11. Correct spending preposition Original: in Suggested revision: on Why it matters: Expenditure is described as being ‘on’ a category.
- 12. Use allocation wording Original: is experienced in food and drink Suggested revision: is for food and drink Why it matters: ‘Is for’ states the allocation naturally without personifying the figure.
Suggested Rewrites
- earning income
- Germany, UK, Turkey Germany, the UK, Turkey
- statistic table
- spend heavily of their income spend a large share of their income
- compared to other household aspects compared with the other categories
- is experienced by Turkey is recorded in Turkey
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response identifies the broad tendency for housing to take the largest share in several countries and includes a useful selection of figures. However, important comparisons are vague or inaccurate, particularly the claim that France and the UK had the same housing proportion and the treatment of Germany’s spending. The highest-priority improvement is to group countries by their largest and smallest categories and verify every comparison against the table.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The report presents an overview and some correct figures, but inaccurate and vague comparisons prevent an adequate account of the table's key patterns.
Accurately contrast housing-led France, Germany, and the UK with food-led Turkey and Spain, then identify the lowest categories.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing and a basic progression from overview to country details are evident, although vague references and loosely connected comparisons reduce clarity.
Organise details by shared spending patterns and ensure each reference such as 'this figure' has one unmistakable antecedent.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary covers the topic but frequent unnatural combinations, including 'spend heavily of' and 'allocation is experienced,' limit precision.
Use standard expressions such as 'spent the largest share on,' 'household income,' and 'accounted for' consistently.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Some complex structures are attempted, but frequent errors in articles, prepositions, agreement, comparison, and clause boundaries reduce control.
Avoid double-linking and run-on clauses by writing shorter comparisons with one connector and a complete main clause.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The table illustrates the proportion of monthly household income spend on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment in five European countries. Proportion of household income five European countries spend on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment.
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