The charts below show the percentage of food budget the average family spent on restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.
Sample Response
The graphs below show the relationship between the distribution of the average family’s budget for food and the number of dishes eaten in restaurants of various types during the period 1970-2000.
As you can see from the pie chart, a family’s restaurant food budget was very small, only 10 per cent in 1970. But by 2000, this rate had increased by five times and amounted to 50 per cent.
Thus, the family’s budget was split equally between restaurant food and home-cooked food (in 2000). Over various decades, budget growth has ranged from 5 per cent to 20 per cent.
The line graph showed that people preferred fast-food restaurants. Thus, from 1980 to 2000, this indicator increased sharply from 28 per cent to 90 per cent, which showed an increase in this indicator by almost three times. During the same period, this figure increased by only 18 per cent in sit-down restaurants.
Thus, it can be concluded that in 2000 the family budget for restaurant food was 50 per cent and people preferred to dine in fast-food restaurants.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use objective chart language Original: As you can see from the pie chart Suggested revision: The pie charts show that Why it matters: This wording is more objective and correctly refers to the four pie charts.
- 2. Name the measured proportion Original: a family’s restaurant food budget Suggested revision: the proportion of a family’s food budget spent on restaurant meals Why it matters: The chart measures a share of the food budget rather than a separate restaurant budget.
- 3. Express multiplication correctly Original: increased by five times Suggested revision: increased fivefold Why it matters: Increased fivefold correctly describes a rise from 10% to 50%.
- 4. Use the precise measure Original: rate Suggested revision: proportion Why it matters: Proportion accurately refers to the percentage of the food budget.
- 5. Match the chart labels Original: split equally between restaurant food and home-cooked food Suggested revision: split equally between restaurant meals and home cooking Why it matters: These terms describe the two categories shown in the chart more precisely.
- 6. Clarify the time span Original: Over various decades Suggested revision: Across the three decades Why it matters: The replacement identifies the full 1970–2000 period directly.
- 7. Specify what increased Original: budget growth Suggested revision: increases in the restaurant-meal share Why it matters: The total food budget is not measured; only its percentage allocation is shown.
- 8. Name the line measure Original: this indicator increased sharply Suggested revision: the number of fast-food meals increased sharply Why it matters: The phrase should identify the measured series instead of using a vague reference.
- 9. Correct values and units Original: from 28 per cent to 90 per cent Suggested revision: from about 30 to about 85 meals per year Why it matters: The line graph reports annual meal counts, with values near 30 in 1980 and 85 in 2000.
- 10. Remove inaccurate repetition Original: , which showed an increase in this indicator by almost three times Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: This clause repeats the change and gives an imprecise multiplicative comparison.
- 11. Correct the sit-down data Original: this figure increased by only 18 per cent in sit-down restaurants Suggested revision: the number of sit-down meals increased from about 35 to 50 per year Why it matters: The chart uses meal counts and shows an increase of roughly 15 meals from 1980 to 2000.
- 12. Signal an overview Original: Thus, it can be concluded that Suggested revision: Overall, Why it matters: Overall is a more direct signal for the summary of the main trends.
Suggested Rewrites
- As you can see from the pie chart The pie charts show that
- a family’s restaurant food budget the proportion of a family’s food budget spent on restaurant meals
- increased by five times increased fivefold
- rate proportion
- split equally between restaurant food and home-cooked food split equally between restaurant meals and home cooking
- Over various decades Across the three decades
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response is organised clearly and identifies the long-term rise in restaurant spending and the eventual dominance of fast food meals. However, it reports meal frequencies as percentages, gives inaccurate values, and omits important intermediate figures and the crossover between restaurant types. The highest priority is to distinguish each chart's units and support the overview with accurate comparisons across all four years.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main long-term patterns are identified, but key data are omitted and the line graph's meal counts are repeatedly misreported as percentages.
Report meals per year accurately for both restaurant types at each key point, including the 1990 crossover and the different rates of increase.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response has a clear paragraph structure and generally logical progression, although repeated use of Thus makes the linking somewhat mechanical.
Use an explicit overview paragraph and organise the details by chart, with comparisons linked through varied and precise cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient range for the task, but words such as dishes, rate, and indicator are imprecise for the charted measures.
Use exact terms such as share of the food budget, meals per year, fast-food meals, and sit-down meals.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex sentences communicates meaning clearly, despite tense inconsistency and awkward comparative expressions.
Maintain consistent past tense and replace forms such as increased by five times with rose fivefold or increased to five times its original level.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The charts below show the percentage of food budget the average family spent on restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.