The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002. UK telephone calls, by category, 1995-2002
Sample Response
The bar chart outlines the duration of phone calls by the UK residents from 1995 to 2002.
Generally speaking, most of the UK citizens made local calls during the period and the usage of cell phones rapidly increased. According to the bar chart, initially in 1995, British talked more than 70 billion minutes on fixed-lines while about 37 billion minutes were national and international fixed line calls. Only approximately 3 billion minutes were spent by people to talk over cell phone calls. The use of local fixed-line increased steadily until 1999 when it reached to 90 billion minutes and after that, the number decreased each year and finally reached to nearly 72 billion in 2002. The national & international-fixed dialling increased each year and reached to 61 billion in 2002 from the initial figure of 38 billion. Finally, the number of cell phone calls expanded significantly each year which shows its increasing popularity. In 1995, the mobile phone calls were only 2 billion minutes and in 2000 it reached to approximately 25 billion minutes. Over the next 2 years, this number increased to 45 billion. In summary, mobile phone calls gained a significant popularity among the UK callers and as of 2002, the local fixed-line calling was still the highest in the UK.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural phrasing Original: the duration of phone calls by the UK residents Suggested revision: the total duration of calls made by UK residents Why it matters: The replacement expresses the measured total naturally and precisely.
- 2. Fix subject and verb Original: British talked Suggested revision: British people spent Why it matters: People spend a number of minutes on calls rather than talk a number of minutes.
- 3. Complete the construction Original: were national and international fixed line calls Suggested revision: were spent on national and international fixed-line calls Why it matters: The minutes need a passive verb phrase showing how they were used.
- 4. Use concise phrasing Original: were spent by people to talk over cell phone calls Suggested revision: were spent on mobile calls Why it matters: The original expression is unnecessarily wordy and unnatural.
- 5. Remove extra preposition Original: reached to 90 Suggested revision: reached 90 Why it matters: Reach takes a direct object without to.
- 6. Name the category accurately Original: national & international-fixed dialling Suggested revision: national and international fixed-line call minutes Why it matters: This matches the chart category and avoids the informal ampersand.
- 7. Report the measured quantity Original: the number of cell phone calls expanded Suggested revision: mobile-call minutes rose Why it matters: The chart measures minutes, not the number of calls.
- 8. Correct the starting value Original: only 2 billion minutes Suggested revision: only about 3 billion minutes Why it matters: The mobile-call bar for 1995 is approximately 3 billion minutes.
- 9. Specify the call category Original: on fixed-lines Suggested revision: on local fixed-line calls Why it matters: The chart distinguishes local fixed-line calls from national and international fixed-line calls.
- 10. Name the measure precisely Original: The use of local fixed-line Suggested revision: Local fixed-line call minutes Why it matters: The revised subject identifies the measured quantity and uses the category name accurately.
- 11. Fix the trend expression Original: reached to nearly 72 billion in 2002 Suggested revision: fell to nearly 72 billion minutes in 2002 Why it matters: Fall to describes the decline accurately, and minutes completes the unit.
- 12. Correct reach usage Original: reached to 61 billion in 2002 Suggested revision: reached 61 billion minutes in 2002 Why it matters: Reach does not take to, and the measurement needs its unit.
Suggested Rewrites
- the duration of phone calls by the UK residents the total duration of calls made by UK residents
- British talked British people spent
- were national and international fixed line calls were spent on national and international fixed-line calls
- were spent by people to talk over cell phone calls were spent on mobile calls
- reached to 90 reached 90
- national & international-fixed dialling national and international fixed-line call minutes
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response gives a clear overview and accurately selects the principal patterns, including the peak and decline in local calls and the sustained growth of the other categories. The main weakness is recurring awkward or inaccurate phrasing, which makes otherwise correct comparisons less natural and occasionally less precise. The priority is to retain the strong data selection while expressing trends through controlled grammatical structures and standard chart vocabulary.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview and supporting figures accurately cover the dominant category, the local-call peak and decline, and the steady rises in the other two categories.
Avoid unsupported wording about how many citizens called and keep every statement tied precisely to call minutes shown in the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from the overview through each category, with clear referencing despite some repetitive sequencing and a dense main paragraph.
Separate the detailed trends into balanced paragraphs and reduce repeated transition words such as “finally.”
Lexical Resource
The response uses a sufficient range of trend and telephone vocabulary, but several collocations are awkward or imprecise.
Prefer standard forms such as “call duration,” “rose to,” “mobile-phone usage,” and “gained popularity.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex and comparative structures is used, but recurring article, preposition, agreement, and verb-form errors reduce accuracy.
Edit recurring constructions such as “reached 90 billion,” “British people made calls,” and plural references to call categories.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002. UK telephone calls, by category, 1995-2002
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.