The bar charts below give information on road transport in a number of European countries.
Sample Response
The bar charts give information about methods of travel and commuting times for six European countries, as well as the average figure for the European Union. From the information, we can see that car use is highest in Denmark at about 12,500 kilometres per person a year, and lowest in Spain and Germany.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Danish also make far greater use of alternative transport than people in other countries, travelling over 3,000 kilometres a year by bus, tram, metro or bike, which is more than double the EU average. By comparison, the British and French travel less than a third of that distance by public transport.
When it comes to commuting times, British drivers spend about 47 minutes each day travelling to work, which is more than any other country. In Denmark and Italy, on the other hand, where many more people use public transport, commuting times are significantly lower.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Name the measured feature Original: methods of travel Suggested revision: annual travel distances by transport mode Why it matters: The charts measure distances travelled by mode rather than merely listing methods of travel.
- 2. Use the plural Original: the average figure for the European Union Suggested revision: the corresponding averages for the European Union Why it matters: Each of the three charts includes a separate EU average, so the plural is more precise.
- 3. Correct the lowest country Original: Spain and Germany Suggested revision: Spain Why it matters: Spain has the lowest car-travel figure, while Germany's figure is slightly higher.
- 4. Use a neutral reference Original: the Danish Suggested revision: people in Denmark Why it matters: This phrasing refers more directly and neutrally to the population represented by the chart.
- 5. Correct the quantity Original: over Suggested revision: about Why it matters: The bar reaches approximately 3,000 kilometres rather than exceeding it.
- 6. Correct the transport mode Original: tram Suggested revision: train Why it matters: The chart lists train, not tram, among the combined modes.
- 7. Use a concise verb Original: give information about Suggested revision: compare Why it matters: A direct reporting verb makes the introduction more concise and precise.
- 8. Remove the wordy frame Original: From the information, we can see that Suggested revision: The charts show that Why it matters: This revision states the comparison directly without an unnecessary reader-oriented phrase.
- 9. Describe the metric precisely Original: car use Suggested revision: distance travelled by car Why it matters: The first chart measures annual distance rather than frequency or general use.
- 10. Use the standard rate Original: a Suggested revision: per Why it matters: Repeating per clearly expresses the annual rate for each person.
- 11. Keep the tone objective Original: Perhaps surprisingly, Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The subjective reaction is unnecessary in a neutral visual description.
- 12. Match the distance measure Original: make far greater use of Suggested revision: travel much farther using Why it matters: The chart compares kilometres travelled, so the wording should describe distance rather than general use.
Suggested Rewrites
- methods of travel annual travel distances by transport mode
- the average figure for the European Union the corresponding averages for the European Union
- Spain and Germany Spain
- the Danish people in Denmark
- over about
- tram train
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is concise, logically organised, and linguistically controlled, with effective comparisons and a useful selection of prominent figures from all three charts. Its main limitation is that several visual details are imprecise or overgeneralised, especially the treatment of Spain and Germany as joint lows, the claim about French public-transport distance, and the reference to British drivers. Prioritise exact category labels, numerical relationships, and a more comprehensive overview of the main contrasts.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response identifies prominent features across all three charts and supports them with relevant figures, though some comparisons and category references are inaccurate or incomplete.
State the major cross-chart patterns more comprehensively and verify each numerical comparison and transport category against the visuals.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses clearly through car travel, alternative modes, and commuting time, with cohesive comparisons linking the selected features smoothly.
Add a distinct overview that groups the principal patterns before presenting the chart-specific details.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, with effective expressions such as "far greater use" and "commuting times," despite minor imprecision in "British drivers" and "alternative transport."
Use the charts' exact labels, particularly "all modes" and the listed non-car modes, to make descriptions fully precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence structures is handled accurately, with clear subordination, comparison clauses, and virtually no grammatical error.
Maintain this strong control while checking that long comparative sentences preserve exact logical and numerical relationships.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The bar charts below give information on road transport in a number of European countries.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.