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 illustrates annual duration of phone calls (in billion minutes) made by British people in three different categories between 1995 and 2005. In general, local fixed-line was the most popular type of telephone used by people living in the UK over the period and cell phone gained its popularity steadily. More than 70 billion minutes were utilised by United Kingdom’s citizens to communicate each other through local fixed-line over those years and that was the highest total number of minutes talked. The use of local fixed-line reached a peak in 1999, at 90 billion minutes before falling by around 18 billion minutes in the next three years. On the other hand, although the minutes of mobile phones were not as many as those of national and international - fixed line, this type of communication had upward trends over the time. While national and international - fixed line started roughly 38 billion minutes and then increased by approximately 22 billion at the end of the year, cell phones had about 3 billion minutes in 1995 and then rose significantly until reaching a peak to just under 50 billion in 2002.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify measured total Original: annual duration Suggested revision: annual total duration Why it matters: Total makes clear that the bars aggregate all call minutes in each year.
- 2. Use plural measure Original: in billion minutes Suggested revision: in billions of minutes Why it matters: This measurement requires the plural construction billions of minutes.
- 3. Correct end year Original: 2005 Suggested revision: 2002 Why it matters: The chart covers 1995 through 2002, not 2005.
- 4. Use plural category Original: local fixed-line was Suggested revision: local fixed-line calls were Why it matters: The subject is the category of calls, so a plural noun and verb are needed.
- 5. Describe rising usage Original: cell phone gained its popularity steadily Suggested revision: mobile-call usage increased steadily Why it matters: The chart measures call minutes rather than the popularity of a device.
- 6. Use natural call verb Original: were utilised by United Kingdom’s citizens Suggested revision: were made by people in the United Kingdom Why it matters: Calls are made, whereas minutes are not naturally described as utilised by citizens.
- 7. Add required preposition Original: communicate each other Suggested revision: communicate with each other Why it matters: Communicate requires with before each other.
- 8. Name call type Original: through local fixed-line Suggested revision: via local fixed lines Why it matters: This phrasing identifies the telephone category naturally.
- 9. Use precise measure Original: highest total number of minutes talked Suggested revision: highest total call duration Why it matters: Call duration is the appropriate term for the measured number of minutes.
- 10. Use category noun Original: The use of local fixed-line Suggested revision: Local fixed-line calls Why it matters: The plural category label creates a clear grammatical subject.
- 11. Use neutral transition Original: On the other hand Suggested revision: Meanwhile Why it matters: The sentence adds another trend rather than presenting a direct opposing argument.
- 12. Describe call minutes Original: the minutes of mobile phones Suggested revision: the number of minutes spent on mobile calls Why it matters: The chart records call duration, not minutes belonging to phones.
Suggested Rewrites
- annual duration annual total duration
- in billion minutes in billions of minutes
- 2005 2002
- local fixed-line was local fixed-line calls were
- cell phone gained its popularity steadily mobile-call usage increased steadily
- were utilised by United Kingdom’s citizens were made by people in the United Kingdom
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response's strongest feature is its clear overview of local calls as dominant and mobile calls as the fastest-growing category, supported by several relevant figures. The main limitation is precision: the period is incorrectly extended to 2005, and some endpoints and time references are misstated or vague. The highest-priority improvement is to verify the axis dates and report each category's start, peak, and final value accurately.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main trends and most important local-call figures are covered, but the stated date range and some mobile and fixed-line details are inaccurate.
Use the correct 1995-2002 period and give accurate starting and ending values for all three categories.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information follows a sensible progression from overview to local calls and then the two rising categories, though the single paragraph and long final sentence limit clarity.
Use separate detail paragraphs for local calls and the two growth categories, with shorter comparative sentences.
Lexical Resource
There is adequate trend vocabulary, but repeated awkward collocations such as "minutes talked" and "had upward trends" weaken precision.
Use natural data language such as "call duration," "rose steadily," "peaked at," and "ended at."
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied clause structures, but article, preposition, agreement, and comparison errors occur regularly while meaning remains clear.
Proofread verb-preposition patterns and quantity comparisons, especially "communicate with," "started at," and "fewer minutes than."
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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
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