The charts below show the main reasons why students chose a particular university in the UK, in 1997 and 2007.
Sample Response
The two pie charts compare five main reasons for which students chose a university in the UKmade university choices inbetween 1997 and 2007.
It is clear that students were most concerned about suitable degree courses in both given years. While the quality of teachingWhile quality of teaching, proximity to parental home and suitable degree courses all saw an increase in proportionboth saw a proportion rise in the period given, the opposite change happened to the other twothree reasons.
In 1997, the suitability of degree courses made up the largest proportion (35%), and kept this highest position in 2007 with a slight 2-percentage-point increaseslight 2% increase. The quality of teaching alsoQuality of teaching also experienced a moderate growth, from 15% in 1997 to 18% in 2007. Concerns about short distance to parental homehouse had the least significance in 1997, taking up only 10%, after which the figure more than doubled to 22% in 2007.
In contrast, the remaining two reasonsMeanwhile, the other two pivotal reasons both experienced a reductionexperienced reduction to varying degrees. The share for good sports and social activities stood at 19%Good sports and social activities accounted for 19% in 1997, and then dropped to the bottom of the list, at 6% in 2007. A milder decrease can be seen in the quality of resourcescan be found in quality of resources, with the figure falling from 21% in 1997 to 17% in 2007sliding from 21% to 17%.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response provides a clear, well-structured description of the visual data with accurate figures and a clear logical progression. The primary limitation is a minor inaccuracy in the overview regarding the number of categories that decreased, along with slight vocabulary awkwardness. To improve, ensure overview generalizations perfectly count the categories and refine word choices for precision.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main trends and key figures are accurately reported and highlighted throughout the description.
Ensure the overview accurately counts categories, as only two reasons decreased rather than three.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically organised into clear paragraphs with smooth cohesive devices connecting ideas.
Maintain this high standard of logical grouping when organizing future chart comparisons.
Lexical Resource
A good variety of vocabulary is used flexibly to describe changes and proportions.
Use natural collocations consistently, such as referring to 'parental home' rather than 'parental house'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of complex grammatical structures is produced with good control across the text.
Ensure pronouns and determiners match the subject count, avoiding terms like 'both' when referencing three items.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The charts below show the main reasons why students chose a particular university in the UK, in 1997 and 2007.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.