The diagrams below show the main reasons workers chose to work from home and the hours males and females worked at home for the year 2019.
Sample Response
The bar chart illustrates the reasons men and women chose to work from home in 2019. Overall, saving money was the main reason for both males and females (45% and 42% respectively). In contrast, approximately a quarter of males put productivity as a reason, which was twice as high as the female response (24% and 11% respectively). For childcare, the pattern was different again with almost a quarter of females giving this reason compared to very few males (4%).
The table shows the hours men and women worked from home in 2019. The vast majority of males worked over 30 hours per week (81%) contrasting with a minority of females (6%) doing similar hours. This pattern is reversed when examining the under ten hours category with almost three quarters of females working this amount compared to only 3% of males. The 10 to 30 hours per week category shows fewer marked differences.
To sum up, it can be seen that men and women do not always give the same reasons for home working and, in general, men work longer hours from home.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural phrasing Original: put productivity as a reason Suggested revision: gave increased productivity as a reason Why it matters: This wording expresses the chart category accurately and naturally.
- 2. Correct approximation Original: almost a quarter of females Suggested revision: just over a quarter of females Why it matters: The chart gives 26%, which is slightly above one quarter.
- 3. Link comparison clearly Original: worked over 30 hours per week (81%) contrasting with Suggested revision: worked over 30 hours per week (81%), compared with Why it matters: The revised link forms a clear and grammatically integrated comparison.
- 4. Improve collocation Original: doing Suggested revision: working Why it matters: Working hours is the more precise collocation in this context.
- 5. Form compound modifier Original: under ten hours category Suggested revision: under-10-hours category Why it matters: Hyphens make the multiword expression function clearly as a modifier.
- 6. Use countable measure Original: working this amount Suggested revision: working this number of hours Why it matters: Hours are countable, so number is more precise than amount.
- 7. Express degree accurately Original: fewer Suggested revision: less Why it matters: The intended meaning concerns how pronounced the differences were, rather than how many existed.
- 8. Avoid repetitive framing Original: To sum up, it can be seen that Suggested revision: Overall, Why it matters: This concise transition avoids an unnecessarily wordy summary frame.
- 9. Add middle-hour figures Suggested revision: Support the final comparison by stating that 16% of males and 22% of females worked 10 to 30 hours per week. Why it matters: The response characterizes this category without reporting its values.
Suggested Rewrites
- put productivity as a reason gave increased productivity as a reason
- almost a quarter of females just over a quarter of females
- worked over 30 hours per week (81%) contrasting with worked over 30 hours per week (81%), compared with
- doing working
- under ten hours category under-10-hours category
- working this amount working this number of hours
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response accurately synthesizes both visuals, with especially strong comparisons of male and female working hours and a clear overall message. The main limitation is minor selectivity and precision: the 16% versus 22% middle-hours figures are omitted, and 26% is described as almost a quarter. Add that comparison and use exact proportional language while preserving the concise organization.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response presents an effective overview and accurately selects nearly all major contrasts across both visuals.
Include the 16% and 22% figures for the middle-hours group and describe 26% as just over a quarter.
Coherence and Cohesion
The two visuals are handled in focused sections, and comparisons progress clearly within each section.
Move the final point about men working longer hours into the opening overview to reduce repetition at the end.
Lexical Resource
Flexible comparative vocabulary conveys scale and contrast well, with only occasional awkward choices such as put productivity as a reason.
Use more natural collocations, such as cited greater productivity as a reason and worked that number of hours.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex comparative structures is used accurately, with only minor punctuation and phrasing lapses.
Use a comma or a full relative clause before contrasting with to make the over-30-hours comparison fully controlled.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The diagrams below show the main reasons workers chose to work from home and the hours males and females worked at home for the year 2019.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.