The graph below provides information on the number of students from the US, UK and Australia who studied in other countries between 2002 and 2007.
Sample Response
The chart provides data on the number of students from the US, UK, and Australia who studied in other countries over a six-year period from 2002 to 2007.
Overall, while the US and Australia initially saw a decrease in students studying abroad, they returned to their original figures by 2007. The UK, however, experienced a continual decline over the six years.
Initially, in 2002, the US had the highest number of students studying abroad, with 50,000, followed by the UK with 30,000, and Australia with 10,000. Over the next two years, there was a decrease in the number of students from all three countries studying abroad. The US saw a reduction to 48,000 in 2003 and then to 46,000 in 2004. Similarly, the UK maintained its figure at 30,000 in 2003 but then dropped to 27,000 in 2004. Australian students decreased to 9,000 in 2003 and further to 8,000 in 2004.
However, in 2005, the trend reversed for the US and Australia, with the number of US students increasing slightly to 47,000 and Australian students returning to 10,000. The UK, on the other hand, continued to see a decline, dropping to 25,000. This downward trend persisted for the UK through 2006 and 2007, reaching 23,000 and 21,000 respectively. In contrast, the US and Australia maintained a steady increase. The US returned to its 2002 level of 50,000 students by 2007, while Australian students consistently remained at 10,000 from 2005 onward.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove redundant timing Original: over a six-year period from 2002 to 2007 Suggested revision: between 2002 and 2007 Why it matters: The shorter expression conveys the same time span more directly.
- 2. Qualify the UK trend Original: a continual decline over the six years Suggested revision: an overall decline, remaining level initially before falling steadily Why it matters: The UK figure stayed at 30,000 in 2002 and 2003 before it began to fall.
- 3. Use precise preposition Original: with Suggested revision: at Why it matters: At is the more concise preposition for reporting a plotted numerical level.
- 4. Describe the number Original: Australian students decreased Suggested revision: The number of Australian students fell Why it matters: The numerical total decreased, rather than the students themselves.
- 5. Name the measured figure Original: Australian students returning to 10,000 Suggested revision: the number of Australian students returning to 10,000 Why it matters: The graph measures the number of students, so the numerical subject should be explicit.
- 6. Sentence rewrite Original: Over the next two years, there was a decrease in the number of students from all three countries studying abroad. Suggested revision: From 2002 to 2004, the figures fell overall in all three countries, although the UK's total remained unchanged in 2003 before declining. Why it matters: This version preserves the overall fall while acknowledging the UK's flat first interval.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: In contrast, the US and Australia maintained a steady increase. Suggested revision: In contrast, the US figure rose steadily after 2004, while Australia's remained stable at 10,000 from 2005. Why it matters: The Australian series was flat after 2005 rather than increasing steadily.
- 8. Emphasize comparisons Suggested revision: After establishing the starting values, group the changes to compare the size and timing of each country's decline rather than reporting every point separately. Why it matters: A more comparative structure would reduce list-like progression while retaining the accurate data.
Suggested Rewrites
- over a six-year period from 2002 to 2007 between 2002 and 2007
- a continual decline over the six years an overall decline, remaining level initially before falling steadily
- with at
- Australian students decreased The number of Australian students fell
- Australian students returning to 10,000 the number of Australian students returning to 10,000
- Over the next two years, there was a decrease in the number of students from all three countries studying abroad. From 2002 to 2004, the figures fell overall in all three countries, although the UK's total remained unchanged in 2003 before declining.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response's strongest feature is its systematic, accurate account of the three series, supported by a clear overview and well-selected figures. The main weakness is a small contradiction: Australia is said to maintain a steady increase even though the response then correctly notes that it stayed at 10,000 from 2005. Revise the overview and concluding comparisons so every trend label matches the plotted movement exactly.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response identifies the main patterns and supports them with comprehensive, almost entirely accurate data from all three series.
Describe Australia's post-2005 movement as stability rather than a steady increase to remove the sole substantive inconsistency.
Coherence and Cohesion
The overview and two chronological detail paragraphs form a logical sequence, and cohesive devices guide comparisons clearly.
Avoid using contrast markers where the following statement merely adds detail rather than establishing a new contrast.
Lexical Resource
Trend vocabulary and numerical expressions are varied, natural, and generally precise throughout the response.
Vary repeated references to students studying abroad while preserving the exact meaning of each comparison.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled accurately, with clear sentence boundaries and very few noticeable slips.
Maintain this control while tightening a few long sentences that contain several coordinated trend descriptions.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph below provides information on the number of students from the US, UK and Australia who studied in other countries between 2002 and 2007.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.