The table below shows the postgraduate course fees that international students paid in three countries in 2007.
Sample Response
The table provides information about the fees paid by foreign postgraduate students in three countries for different subjects, as well as meals and accommodation.
It is clear from the table that Country A had the lowest fees for all fields of study and meals and accommodation, while Country B and Country C had noticeably similar, higher fees. Of all the countries, Country B had the highest fees overall.
To begin, the Arts and Commerce courses not only had the exact same fees, but they were also the lowest in the table, with $8,000 for Country A, $18,000 for Country B and $19,000 for Country C. The course fees for Computing and Science were close in all the countries. In Country A they were identical at $11,000, whereas in Country B the Computing course was $27,000 and Science cost $2,000 more. The figures for Country C were slightly lower at $24,000 for Computing and $25,000 for Science.
The fees for meals and accommodation varied significantly across the 3 countries. The most affordable cost of $8,000 belonged to Country A, followed by $11,000 in country C and the most expensive meals and housing costs ($17,000) were recorded in Country B.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Name the data precisely Original: different subjects Suggested revision: four courses Why it matters: The table lists fees for four named courses rather than unspecified subjects.
- 2. Tighten the comparison Original: noticeably similar, higher fees Suggested revision: similarly high fees Why it matters: This phrasing expresses the shared contrast with Country A more concisely.
- 3. Use standard phrasing Original: the exact same fees Suggested revision: exactly the same fees Why it matters: The adverb “exactly” correctly modifies “the same.”
- 4. Limit the claim Original: the lowest in the table Suggested revision: the lowest course fees in each country Why it matters: Meals and accommodation cost less than these courses in Countries B and C.
- 5. State the comparison Original: slightly lower Suggested revision: slightly lower than Country B's Why it matters: Naming the reference country makes the comparison explicit.
- 6. Sentence rewrite Original: The course fees for Computing and Science were close in all the countries. Suggested revision: Within each country, the Computing and Science fees differed by no more than $2,000. Why it matters: The rewrite replaces the vague word “close” with the table's precise relationship.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: The most affordable cost of $8,000 belonged to Country A, followed by $11,000 in country C and the most expensive meals and housing costs ($17,000) were recorded in Country B. Suggested revision: Country A had the lowest cost at $8,000, followed by Country C at $11,000, while Country B had the highest cost at $17,000. Why it matters: The rewrite fixes the faulty coordination and capitalizes the country label consistently.
- 8. Qualify the overview Suggested revision: Clarify that Country B was highest for Computing, Science, and living costs, while Country C was highest for Arts and Commerce. Why it matters: This qualification captures the main exception to Country B's generally higher costs.
Suggested Rewrites
- different subjects four courses
- noticeably similar, higher fees similarly high fees
- the exact same fees exactly the same fees
- the lowest in the table the lowest course fees in each country
- slightly lower slightly lower than Country B's
- The course fees for Computing and Science were close in all the countries. Within each country, the Computing and Science fees differed by no more than $2,000.
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response provides an accurate, comprehensive account of the table, supported by a clear overview and well-chosen comparisons across subjects and countries. Its only notable limitations are occasional awkward coordination and slight inconsistency in capitalization, rather than any meaningful gap in data coverage. Prioritise polishing the final comparative sentence so its grammatical structure matches the precision of the analysis.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All major patterns are clearly summarized and the detailed figures accurately cover every course category and living-cost entry.
Maintain this comprehensive selection while making the overall ranking of Countries B and C even more explicitly comparative.
Coherence and Cohesion
The overview and two detail paragraphs are logically grouped, and progression through course fees to living costs is easy to follow.
Strengthen the final comparison by using a parallel three-part structure for the countries rather than a loosely joined sequence.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise range of vocabulary describes fees, similarities, differences, and relative cost with minimal repetition.
Refine phrases such as the most affordable cost to the more natural lowest fee and keep country names consistently capitalized.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex structures are used accurately throughout, with only a minor coordination problem in the concluding sentence.
Revise the final sentence so each country figure has the same grammatical form and the subject agrees cleanly with its verb.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The table below shows the postgraduate course fees that international students paid in three countries in 2007.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.