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
A glance at the column graph reveals the proportions of men and women teaching in six various academic institutions in the United Kingdom in 2010.
Overall, what stands out from the chart is that female teachers were significantly more likely to teach in earlier grades, while the higher the level of education, the more male teachers dominated. However, the ratio of lecturers of both sexes was equal at the college level.
Turning to the details, by far the highest percentage of educators found in the nursery were females at 95%, as opposed to 0.5% of males. Similarly, the majority of primary school teachers were women (90%) compared to 10% of men. At the secondary level, the numbers of female and male schoolteachers differed slightly, at 55% and 45% respectively.
In stark contrast, the number of male employees outnumbered their female colleagues in tertiary education. In universities, 70% of the teaching staff were male, while women made up 30% of the total. There were also fewer female pedagogues (42%) than male ones (58%) in private institutions. It is noteworthy that the proportion of mentors from both genders in colleges was the same at 50%.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use task wording Original: six various academic institutions Suggested revision: six different educational settings Why it matters: This wording accurately covers the range from nursery to university shown in the chart.
- 2. Use education stages Original: earlier grades Suggested revision: earlier stages of education Why it matters: Nursery and primary school are more accurately described as educational stages.
- 3. Fix trend structure Original: the more male teachers dominated Suggested revision: the higher the proportion of male teachers Why it matters: The replacement completes the correlative comparative structure accurately.
- 4. Use plural proportions Original: ratio of lecturers of both sexes Suggested revision: proportions of male and female teachers Why it matters: The chart compares two percentage proportions and refers to teachers rather than lecturers.
- 5. Correct nursery value Original: 0.5% of males Suggested revision: 5% of males Why it matters: The chart shows men at 5% in nursery or pre-school education.
- 6. Report percentages Original: numbers of female and male schoolteachers Suggested revision: proportions of female and male teachers Why it matters: The chart displays percentages rather than absolute numbers.
- 7. Name setting precisely Original: private institutions Suggested revision: private training institutes Why it matters: This is the full category label used in the chart.
- 8. Use plural teacher shares Original: proportion of mentors from both genders Suggested revision: proportions of male and female teachers Why it matters: Two equal percentage shares require a plural noun, and 'teachers' matches the chart terminology.
- 9. Use standard chart term Original: column graph reveals Suggested revision: bar chart shows Why it matters: A bar chart is the standard term for this visual and 'shows' is more direct.
- 10. Use teacher categories Original: proportions of men and women teaching Suggested revision: proportions of male and female teachers Why it matters: This phrasing names the two measured groups more precisely.
- 11. Fix nursery description Original: educators found in the nursery were females Suggested revision: nursery or pre-school teachers were women Why it matters: The replacement removes the awkward passive wording and uses the chart's category accurately.
- 12. Lead with percentage Original: the majority of primary school teachers were women (90%) Suggested revision: women comprised 90% of primary school teachers Why it matters: Stating the exact proportion directly makes the comparison more precise.
Suggested Rewrites
- six various academic institutions six different educational settings
- earlier grades earlier stages of education
- the more male teachers dominated the higher the proportion of male teachers
- ratio of lecturers of both sexes proportions of male and female teachers
- 0.5% of males 5% of males
- numbers of female and male schoolteachers proportions of female and male teachers
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is well organised, with a clear overview and accurate comparisons across nearly all six settings. The principal weakness is precision: the nursery male figure is reported as 0.5% rather than 5%, while occupational labels such as ‘employees’, ‘pedagogues’, and ‘mentors’ are less exact than ‘teachers’. Prioritise checking every numerical label and using consistent terminology drawn from the chart.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview identifies the central gender pattern and the report covers all six settings, with one substantial decimal error in the nursery figure.
Check each percentage directly against the vertical scale before finalising the report, particularly small values near zero.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced through a clear introduction, overview, and two well-grouped detail paragraphs, making the report easy to follow.
For an even tighter progression, keep the equal college figures with the surrounding transition between female- and male-dominated settings.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, although some substituted occupational terms are less accurate or natural than the chart’s word ‘teachers’.
Maintain lexical variety through comparison verbs and modifiers while using ‘teachers’ consistently for the people represented.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a broad range of complex structures with generally good control, despite occasional agreement and construction problems.
Review subject–verb agreement in percentage phrases and avoid constructions such as ‘the number … outnumbered’.
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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.