The chart below shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different types of educational setting in the UK in 2010.
Sample Response
The bar chart gives information about the male and female tutors' ratio in six distinct types of educational institutions in the UK in 2010.
Overall, female teachers were greater in number than the male teachers in junior levels of educational institutes. However, in higher education level, there were more male teachers than that of women teachers. In private training institutes, colleges and secondary schools, the ratio of teachers from both genders were quite similar.
According to the given illustration, there was a significant dissimilarity between the number of men and women educators in Nursery/Pre-school levels as well as primary schools. There were almost 98% and 96% female teachers in these two levels which show that the dominance of female teachers in early education level.
In the case of colleges, there was 50 percent male teachers and 50 percent of female teachers which show the equal number of teachers from both genders. In secondary level, the ratio of male teachers (about 47%) was slightly higher than that of female teachers (about 43%). Female teachers' ration in private training institutes was higher than that of male teachers - about 47% female teachers against 43% male teachers. The male teachers in secondary schools were correlative to the female teachers of the private training institutions. In University level, there were 40% more male teachers than the women teachers.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Describe percentages accurately Original: male and female tutors' ratio Suggested revision: proportions of male and female teachers Why it matters: The chart compares two percentages in each setting, so plural 'proportions' is the accurate term.
- 2. Use concise comparison Original: were greater in number than the male teachers Suggested revision: outnumbered male teachers Why it matters: The revision expresses the comparison more naturally and concisely.
- 3. Name the settings Original: junior levels of educational institutes Suggested revision: nursery/pre-school and primary education Why it matters: Naming the two settings makes the overview more precise and directly grounded in the chart.
- 4. Fix the preposition Original: in higher education level Suggested revision: at university level Why it matters: Use 'at' with 'level', and the chart's relevant higher-education category is university.
- 5. Fix the comparison Original: than that of women teachers Suggested revision: than female teachers Why it matters: Teachers should be compared directly with teachers rather than with 'that of' teachers.
- 6. Fix wording and agreement Original: ratio of teachers from both genders were Suggested revision: proportions of male and female teachers were Why it matters: The plural subject correctly matches 'were' and accurately describes the charted percentages.
- 7. Use natural comparison Original: significant dissimilarity Suggested revision: large difference Why it matters: 'Large difference' is the more natural collocation for contrasting chart values.
- 8. Refer to percentages Original: number of men and women educators Suggested revision: proportions of male and female teachers Why it matters: The vertical axis reports percentages, not absolute numbers.
- 9. Use the setting name Original: Nursery/Pre-school levels Suggested revision: nursery/pre-school settings Why it matters: The plural 'levels' is awkward for the single nursery/pre-school category shown.
- 10. Fix the preposition Original: In secondary level Suggested revision: At secondary-school level Why it matters: The standard construction is 'at ... level'.
- 11. Correct secondary figures Original: (about 47%) was slightly higher than that of female teachers (about 43%) Suggested revision: (about 45%) was lower than that of female teachers (about 55%) Why it matters: The chart shows women slightly ahead of men in secondary schools, at roughly 55% versus 45%.
- 12. Correct the term Original: Female teachers' ration Suggested revision: The proportion of female teachers Why it matters: 'Ration' is the wrong word, while 'proportion' accurately describes the percentage shown.
Suggested Rewrites
- male and female tutors' ratio proportions of male and female teachers
- were greater in number than the male teachers outnumbered male teachers
- junior levels of educational institutes nursery/pre-school and primary education
- in higher education level at university level
- than that of women teachers than female teachers
- ratio of teachers from both genders were proportions of male and female teachers were
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response is clearly organized and identifies the broad contrast between female dominance in early education and male dominance at university. Its main limitation is data accuracy: it reverses the male-female relationship in both secondary schools and private training institutes and misreports several percentages. The highest-priority improvement is to verify each bar pair against the chart before drafting comparisons, then use simpler grammatical structures to reduce agreement and comparative errors.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview captures the broad shift from female dominance at early levels to male dominance at university, but several detailed figures and two gender comparisons are inaccurate.
Report secondary school as approximately 45% men and 55% women and private training as about 55% men and 45% women.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response has a clear introduction, overview and grouped details, though some comparisons and references are awkwardly connected.
Group nursery and primary together, then compare secondary, college and private training systematically before ending with university.
Lexical Resource
The response attempts a reasonable range of comparison vocabulary, but several choices such as 'tutors' ratio,' 'ration' and 'correlative' are inaccurate.
Prefer precise, natural terms such as 'proportion,' 'percentage-point difference' and 'similar figure' for chart comparisons.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures communicates the main ideas, but agreement, article and comparative-form errors recur.
Use controlled comparison patterns such as 'the proportion of women was higher than that of men' and check subject-verb agreement.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different types of educational setting in the UK in 2010.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.