The pictures show information about average income and spending on food and clothes by an average family in a city in the UK.
Sample Response
The table illustrates how much money an average family in a UK city earned and paid for food and clothes, while the pie charts represent the proportion of spending on those categories in 2010 and 2013.
It is clear that while the total income of an average British family decreased between 2010 and 2013, the amount of money spent on food and clothing increased. Additionally, British people spent much more money on food than on clothes in both years.
According to the table, in 2010, an average British family earned £29,000, while nearly half of that amount was used for food and clothes. In 2013, the average income of a family in Britain fell to about £25,000, while there was a growth of £1,000 in the expenditure for food and clothes.
Regarding the pie charts, the percentage for spending on meat and fish was highest among all categories in 2010, at 29%, but threev years later experienced a drop to 23%. Similarly, a downward trend was seen in the figure for clothes, from 15% to 13% in 2013. On the other hand, people seemed to spend more money on fruit, vegetables, and dairy products as the figures went up to 30% and 16% respectively. Meanwhile, the proportion of spending on other food remained unchanged at exactly 18%.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use spending verb Original: paid for food and clothes Suggested revision: spent on food and clothes Why it matters: Use the standard verb-preposition combination for describing expenditure.
- 2. Keep source scope Original: the total income of an average British family Suggested revision: the total income of an average family in a UK city Why it matters: The visual refers to a family in one UK city rather than British families generally.
- 3. Match the subject Original: British people spent much more money on food than on clothes in both years Suggested revision: the average family spent much more on food than on clothes in both years Why it matters: The charts describe the average family's spending rather than the spending of British people as a whole.
- 4. Report exact value Original: nearly half of that amount Suggested revision: £14,000 Why it matters: The table provides an exact spending figure, so stating it is more precise than giving an approximation.
- 5. Describe change directly Original: a downward trend was seen in the figure for clothes Suggested revision: the share spent on clothes fell Why it matters: A direct verb and the term share describe this two-point comparison more precisely.
- 6. Sentence rewrite Original: In 2013, the average income of a family in Britain fell to about £25,000, while there was a growth of £1,000 in the expenditure for food and clothes. Suggested revision: In 2013, the family's average income fell to £25,000, while its spending on food and clothes rose by £1,000 to £15,000. Why it matters: This version keeps the family as the subject and reports the table's exact figures directly.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: Regarding the pie charts, the percentage for spending on meat and fish was highest among all categories in 2010, at 29%, but threev years later experienced a drop to 23%. Suggested revision: Regarding the pie charts, meat and fish accounted for the largest share of spending in 2010, at 29%, before falling to 23% three years later. Why it matters: The rewrite fixes the spelling error and gives the changing percentage a clear grammatical subject.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: On the other hand, people seemed to spend more money on fruit, vegetables, and dairy products as the figures went up to 30% and 16% respectively. Suggested revision: On the other hand, the proportions spent on fruit and vegetables and on dairy products rose to 30% and 16%, respectively. Why it matters: The charts show proportions, so this wording states the measured changes accurately and precisely.
- 9. Highlight category shift Suggested revision: Add that fruit and vegetables became the largest spending category in 2013, overtaking meat and fish. Why it matters: This is a key comparison across the two pie charts and would strengthen the overview.
Suggested Rewrites
- paid for food and clothes spent on food and clothes
- the total income of an average British family the total income of an average family in a UK city
- British people spent much more money on food than on clothes in both years the average family spent much more on food than on clothes in both years
- nearly half of that amount £14,000
- a downward trend was seen in the figure for clothes the share spent on clothes fell
- In 2013, the average income of a family in Britain fell to about £25,000, while there was a growth of £1,000 in the expenditure for food and clothes. In 2013, the family's average income fell to £25,000, while its spending on food and clothes rose by £1,000 to £15,000.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear overview and accurately reports the main income, expenditure, and category trends, with well-controlled organisation and sentence structures. Its main limitation is that some wording is slightly awkward and the 2010 figures for fruit and vegetables and dairy products are only implied through their later values. Prioritise more precise collocations and fully state both endpoints when describing changes.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response presents a clear overview and accurately selects nearly all major figures and changes from the table and pie charts.
State the 2010 percentages for fruit and vegetables and dairy products explicitly so that every reported change has both endpoints.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from the overview to the table and pie-chart details, with clear paragraphing and effective linking.
Make links within comparison sentences slightly more direct when shifting from one year to the other.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, although phrases such as "percentage for spending" and "expenditure for" are mildly awkward.
Use more natural data-reporting collocations such as "the proportion spent on" and "expenditure on" consistently.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used with strong control, and the few lapses do not impede meaning.
Proofread comparative clauses to remove slips such as "threev years" and ensure each clause has a clearly expressed subject.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The pictures show information about average income and spending on food and clothes by an average family in a city in the UK.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.