The chart below gives information about billions of euros invested in four areas by various organisations.
Sample Response
The bar chart details funding to four sectors by organisation A-E in a given time period. What stands out most is that overall expenditure is highest for organisation B, in particular staff training and research are outliers compared to the other organisations, while organisations D and E were much lower in overall funding and A and C were in the middle. There were varying trends for all organisations though building tended to be near the top for most of them.
Looking first of all at the funding for organisations A and B, machinery received €1 billion and just under a billion euros respectively, while building was the most funded for organisation A (€1.5 billion) and €.1 billion lower for B, trailing staff training (€1.9 billion) and research (€1.6 billion). Organisation A invested less in both areas with €1.2 for training and €1.1 for research.
The numbers for organisation C, D, and E were much lower with machinery at €1.1 billion for C, €.9 billion for D and €.8 billion for E. All three organisations invested equally in building (an even €1 billion), while staff training was between €.7 and €.9 billion for all groups. Research showed more divergent numbers with organisations C contributing €1.3 billion, organisation D €.6 billion and organisation E €.7billion.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use plural range Original: organisation Suggested revision: organisations Why it matters: A range covering several organisations requires the plural noun.
- 2. Write decimal correctly Original: €.1 billion lower for B Suggested revision: €0.1 billion lower for B Why it matters: A decimal below one requires a leading zero.
- 3. Include the unit Original: €1.2 for training Suggested revision: €1.2 billion for training Why it matters: The chart values are measured in billions of euros.
- 4. Include the unit Original: €1.1 for research Suggested revision: €1.1 billion for research Why it matters: The chart values are measured in billions of euros.
- 5. Correct machinery value Original: 1 Suggested revision: 3 Why it matters: Organisation C invested €1.3 billion in machinery, according to the chart.
- 6. Write decimal correctly Original: €.9 billion for D Suggested revision: €0.9 billion for D Why it matters: A decimal below one requires a leading zero.
- 7. Write decimal correctly Original: €.8 billion for E Suggested revision: €0.8 billion for E Why it matters: A decimal below one requires a leading zero.
- 8. Format both decimals Original: between €.7 and €.9 billion Suggested revision: between €0.7 and €0.9 billion Why it matters: Both decimal amounts below one require leading zeros.
- 9. Fix singular agreement Original: organisations Suggested revision: organisation Why it matters: Organisation C refers to one organisation and therefore needs a singular noun.
- 10. Complete the comparison Original: organisation D €.6 billion Suggested revision: organisation D contributing €0.6 billion Why it matters: The parallel list needs a verb and a correctly formatted decimal.
Suggested Rewrites
- organisation organisations
- €.1 billion lower for B €0.1 billion lower for B
- €1.2 for training €1.2 billion for training
- €1.1 for research €1.1 billion for research
- 1 3
- €.9 billion for D €0.9 billion for D
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a clear overview and organises the figures effectively, with well-chosen comparisons and generally precise language. Its main weakness is a small but meaningful data error, as Organisation C's machinery spending is about €1.3 billion rather than €1.1 billion. The highest-priority improvement is to verify every figure against the chart while retaining the concise comparative structure.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response provides a clear overview and covers nearly all key figures and comparisons, but it misreports Organisation C's machinery investment as €1.1 billion instead of about €1.3 billion.
Check each numerical value against the chart before finalising the report, especially when several series have similar values.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically grouped by organisation, and the overview and detail paragraphs progress smoothly with clear referencing.
Refine the longest overview sentence into slightly cleaner units to make the hierarchy of comparisons even easier to follow.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise range, including terms such as expenditure, funding, outliers, and divergent, conveys the comparisons effectively.
Use complete unit expressions consistently, such as €0.9 billion, rather than shortened forms like €.9 or €1.2.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures with strong control, although minor punctuation and agreement lapses occur.
Proofread coordination and subject-verb agreement in long comparative sentences, such as the clause beginning with Organisation C.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below gives information about billions of euros invested in four areas by various organisations.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.