The graph below gives information from a 2008 report about consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projections until 2030.
Sample Response
The linebar graph compares the consumption of energy in the USA from 1980 and also gives projectionsa projection of it to 2030till the year 2030. As is presented in the graph, petrol and oil was the main energy sourcepetrol and oil were the main two sources of energy while coal consumption is projected to increasethe use of coal would increase in the coming years. The graph also shows thatAs is presented in the line graph, In 1980,initially in 1980 35 quadrillion units of petrol and oil were consumed35 quadrillion units of oil and petrol energy was consumed in the USA while about 16 quadrillion units of coal and 20 quadrillion units of natural gas15-20 quadrillion units each of coal and natural gas was consumed. In thatthis year less than 5 quadrillion energy got from nuclear, solar/wind and hydropowernuclear, solar and hydropower was consumed. The consumption of all of these energy sources kept on increasing with some fluctuations. It is projected that in 2030 the consumption of petrol and oil will reach about 49 quadrillion unitsreach to over 50 quadrillion units while the consumption of coal and natural gascoal and natural gas’s consumption will reach about 32 and 25 quadrillion units, respectivelyreach from 20 to 30 quadrillions. The consumption of nuclear, solar/ wind and hydropower will also increase and reach approximately 8, 6 and 3 quadrillion units, respectivelywould reach to over 5 quadrillion units.
In 2030, oil and petrol would be mostly consumed to get energy while in the second most consumed energy source would be coals.
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response gives a clear general direction and includes figures for all six energy sources, so the main message is easy to follow. Its main weakness is limited and sometimes inaccurate selection: it calls the visual a bar graph, overstates the 2030 petrol figure, and overlooks important contrasts such as coal overtaking natural gas and hydropower remaining broadly stable. Prioritise precise comparisons across the historical and projected periods.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response provides an overview and covers all fuel types, but several details are imprecise and major comparisons are omitted.
Select the most significant changes accurately, including coal surpassing natural gas and the contrasting patterns among the three minor sources.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information follows a generally clear overview-to-detail progression, although repetition and the isolated final sentence weaken paragraph organisation.
Group the dominant fuels and the minor fuels into purposeful detail paragraphs and remove the repetitive concluding statement.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is adequate for describing trends and projections, but several collocations and forms are awkward or inaccurate.
Use precise chart language such as 'is projected to reach', 'quadrillion units', and 'coal' without unnecessary plural forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of sentence forms communicates the trends clearly, though recurring agreement, article, preposition, and noun-form errors reduce control.
Proofread complex comparison sentences for subject-verb agreement, articles, and correct structures after verbs such as 'reach'.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph below gives information from a 2008 report about consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projections until 2030.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.