The pie chart shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in the UK in 2002.
Sample Response
The given pie chart shows data on the different family types that lived under the poverty line in the year 2001 in the UK. As is presented in the pie chart, sole parents and single persons without children were the highest in percentages who lived in destitute conditions in the UK in 2002.
According to the pie chart, people in the UK who lived under poverty mostly fall under sole parent category for the year 2002. This was the highest among all the given categories (more than 25%) that lived in paucity for the given year. The second largest segment who were needy were the single persons without any child and their percentage was 24%. Couples with children family type had 15% poverty rate while this percentage was less than 10% for single aged person, aged couple and couples with children.
In this year 14% of all household of the UK were living in poverty. Interestingly aged people had less percentage of poverty and couples with children enjoyed better economic condition than the couples without children.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct the year Original: in the year 2001 Suggested revision: in 2002 Why it matters: The chart presents poverty data for 2002, not 2001.
- 2. Use correct collocation Original: under Suggested revision: in Why it matters: In poverty is the standard English collocation.
- 3. Use past tense Original: mostly fall Suggested revision: were most likely to fall Why it matters: The report describes a completed situation in 2002 and needs a past-tense construction.
- 4. Add article Original: under sole parent category Suggested revision: into the sole-parent category Why it matters: The singular category needs the definite article and fall takes into here.
- 5. Use concise time phrase Original: for the year 2002 Suggested revision: in 2002 Why it matters: In 2002 is the conventional concise expression for a single year.
- 6. Name the measure Original: This was the highest among all the given categories Suggested revision: This category had the highest poverty rate Why it matters: A category cannot itself be highest without naming the measured rate.
- 7. Give exact figure Original: more than 25% Suggested revision: 26% Why it matters: The chart provides the exact sole-parent poverty rate of 26%.
- 8. Remove awkward wording Original: that lived in paucity for the given year Suggested revision: in 2002 Why it matters: The category does not itself live in poverty, and paucity is inappropriate in this context.
- 9. Fix agreement Original: The second largest segment who were needy were Suggested revision: The second-largest group living in poverty was Why it matters: The singular head noun group requires was and clearer modification.
- 10. Use natural plural Original: single persons without any child Suggested revision: single people without children Why it matters: The plural category is naturally expressed with people and children.
- 11. Match singular group Original: their percentage was 24% Suggested revision: its poverty rate was 24% Why it matters: The pronoun should agree with the singular group and identify the measured rate.
- 12. Repair noun phrase Original: Couples with children family type Suggested revision: Families headed by couples with children Why it matters: The replacement forms a grammatical subject for the reported rate.
Suggested Rewrites
- in the year 2001 in 2002
- under in
- mostly fall were most likely to fall
- under sole parent category into the sole-parent category
- for the year 2002 in 2002
- This was the highest among all the given categories This category had the highest poverty rate
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response is clearly organised and successfully identifies sole parents and single adults without children as the groups with the highest poverty rates. Coverage is weakened by the opening reference to 2001, the omission of the 9% couple-without-children figure, and the final comparison, which reverses the relationship between couples with and without children. Check every category label once and use the exact percentages before making comparisons.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response provides a clear overview and several correct figures, but it misstates the year, omits one category's value, and makes an inaccurate final comparison.
Report all seven labels accurately, including couples without children at 9%, and compare that figure correctly with couples with children at 15%.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced from an overview to category details and broader comparisons, with clear paragraphing and generally effective linking.
Avoid repeating or mislabelling a category within the same comparison so that the detailed grouping remains easy to follow.
Lexical Resource
The response shows adequate range, but expressions such as lived in paucity, highest in percentages, and less percentage are unnatural or imprecise.
Prefer precise chart phrases such as poverty rate, accounted for, and a lower proportion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Both simple and complex forms are used, but recurring errors with agreement, articles, noun phrases, and tense limit control.
Check plural agreement and noun phrases, for example all households were and the sole-parent category.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The pie chart shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in the UK in 2002.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.