The chart below shows the GDP growth per year for three countries between 2007 and 2010.
Sample Response
The bar chartcolumn graph compares the annual GDP growth of Tunisia, Japan and Ecuador from 2007 to 2010. Overall, yearly GDP (grossGross domestic product) growth for Tunisia and Ecuador was higher than that of Japan in 2007 but Japan managed to accelerate it while it reduced in two other countries over the period. In 2007To start with, GDP growth in Tunisia in 2007 was over 6%, whichover 6% which was about three times and twice the rates for Japan and Ecuador, respectivelythrice and double than that of Japan and Ecuador respectively. Next year, the GDP growth rates of all three countriesall these three country’s GDP growth were similar, ranging from about 4% to 5%ranging from 4 to 5 percent. However, in 2009 Japan witnessed an increasea steady increase in its GDP while the GDP growth rates of both Ecuador and Tunisiaboth Ecuador and Tunisia’s GDP plummeted remarkably. The same scenario continued in 2010in the next year and Japan had a much higher GDP growth ratea far better GDP in this year. Japan's GDP growth was approximatelyalmost 6.5% while the corresponding rates were approximately 3% and 2%while it was approximately 3% and 2% in Tunisia and Ecuador. To summarise, Japan's GDP growth rate rose rapidlyJapan achieved a fast-growing GDP during the given period while this rate actually declined noticeably in both Tunisia and Ecuadordeclined noticeably both in Tunisia and Ecuador.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response gives a clear overview of the diverging trends and supports it with well-selected comparisons from across the period. Its main limitation is imprecise language around the data, such as describing Tunisia’s 2008–2009 fall as a remarkable plummet and referring to a better GDP rather than a higher growth rate. The highest-priority improvement is to use exact comparative phrasing and distinguish GDP from GDP growth consistently.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview is accurate and the response covers all four years with relevant comparisons, though a few descriptions overstate or blur the changes shown.
Describe Tunisia’s moderate fall separately from Ecuador’s sharp drop and consistently compare growth rates rather than GDP levels.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses clearly from the overview through the years, but the single-block presentation and repeated concluding overview limit structural control.
Use a distinct overview and two grouped detail paragraphs instead of repeating the main trend at the end.
Lexical Resource
The response shows a useful range of trend and comparison vocabulary, although several collocations are inaccurate or imprecise.
Replace forms such as thrice and double than and better GDP with three times as high, twice as high, and higher GDP growth.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex structures are attempted and meaning remains clear, but agreement, possessive, comparative, and clause-construction errors occur regularly.
Check plural agreement and comparative constructions, especially in sentences that compare all three countries.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below shows the GDP growth per year for three countries between 2007 and 2010.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.