The charts below show the main reasons why students chose a particular university in the UK in 1997 and 2007.
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Sample Response
The two pie charts compare the primary factors influencing students' decisions to attend a specific higher education institutionillustrate the five main reasons why students chose a particular university in the UK in 1997 and 2007. Overall, the availability of suitable degree courses was the primary reasonsuitable degree courses were the most common reason in both 1997 and 2007. By contrast, proximity to the parental home was the least common reason in 1997, whereas good sports and social activities took this position in 2007, whereas good sports and social activities were the least common reason in 2007. In 1997, 35% of students chose the university due to suitable degree coursesbecause of its suitable degree courses, while this figure rose slightly to 37% in 2007, an increase of two percentage points, 2 percentage points higher than in 1997. The second most common reason in 1997 was the quality of resources, which accounted for 21% before falling slightly to 17% in 2007.the quality of resources, which accounted for 21%. Meanwhile, the most dramatic rise occurred inThere was also a large difference in proximity to the parental home. It represented only 10% in 1997, but increased to 22% in 2007. Sporting and social activities made up 19% of choicesGood sports and social activities accounted for 19% in 1997, but this figure fell sharply to 6% in 2007, a decrease of 13 percentage points. Furthermore, 18% of students chose the university because of the quality of teaching in 2007.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay presents a clear summary of the visual data with an effective overview highlighting the highest and lowest proportions for both years. Data key features are largely accurate and logically organized across paragraphs. To reach a higher standard, ensure all categories are fully compared by reporting both 1997 and 2007 values rather than leaving individual figures isolated.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response accurately identifies key trends and provides a clear overview, though one initial figure for quality of teaching is omitted.
Ensure every visual category includes comparative data points from both years to present a complete analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically grouped into distinct paragraphs with clear progression and appropriate linking words.
Vary cohesive devices beyond basic transition words to create smoother connections between comparative sentences.
Lexical Resource
A good range of vocabulary related to trends and percentages is used appropriately throughout the response.
Incorporate a wider variety of precise verbs and nouns for describing changes to reduce mild repetition of basic data phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Sentence structures are varied and consistently demonstrate a high level of grammatical accuracy with virtually no errors.
Maintain this high standard of grammatical control while experimenting with complex comparative sentence patterns.