The table below gives the information about the amount of tax collected (as % of GDP) in five countries for 4 years between 1975 and 2005.
Sample Response
The table compares tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in five countries—Sweden, the USA, Korea, Japan, and Turkey—across the years 1975, 1985, 1995, and 2005.
Overall, every nation had a higher tax-to-GDP ratio in 2005 than in 1975each nation experienced growth in its tax-to-GDP ratio over the three decades, with Sweden maintaining the highest level in every year shownat every interval.
In 1975, Sweden recorded the highest figurestood alone at the apex, with a tax-to-GDP ratio of 46 %, while the United States registered a notably lower figure of 25.1 %. Korea and Turkey reported similar sharesalmost identical shares—15.1 % and 16.4 %, respectively—whereas Japan trailed marginally behind at 15 %.
By 2005, Sweden’s ratio had had risen sharplyclimbed further to 70.1 %, reinforcing its position at the top of the table. The United States, by contrast, experienced only a modest increaseuptick to 27.4 %, reflecting a relatively stable trajectory. Korea’s share escalated sharply to 27 % by 1985 and then fluctuated slightlythen levelled off, ending at 27.3 % in 2005. Japan more than doubled its ratio over the period, reaching 32.1 %, while Turkey—which had dipped to 15 % in 1985—recovered to match the United States at 27.4 % by 2005.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response offers a concise, accurate overview and uses well-chosen figures to distinguish strong growth, stability, and recovery across the five countries. Its main limitation is the limited use of the 1995 data, which leaves some intermediate development implicit, while a few lexical choices sound overly ornate. Add one focused mid-period comparison and favour precise, natural statistical language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview is accurate and the selected figures capture the major rankings and contrasting national trends.
Include a concise 1995 comparison to show more fully how the countries developed between the endpoints.
Coherence and Cohesion
The report is clearly organised around an overview, a starting-point comparison, and later developments, with smooth progression.
Balance the detail paragraphs more evenly by integrating the mid-period evidence into the trend-based grouping.
Lexical Resource
A broad range of precise vocabulary describes levels and changes effectively, with only occasional overstatement in style.
Choose natural statistical wording in place of ornate expressions such as stood alone at the apex or share escalated.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Sentence structures are varied, sophisticated, and consistently accurate, with punctuation supporting complex comparisons well.
Retain the strong grammatical control while using slightly leaner clause structures where several figures appear together.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The table below gives the information about the amount of tax collected (as % of GDP) in five countries for 4 years between 1975 and 2005.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.