The chart below shows information about changes in average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989.
Sample Response
The bar chart shows data on the changes in house priceschanges in the prices of houses in two periodstwo spans of periods, 1990 – 1995 and 1996 – 2002 compared with 1989 levelscompared to the prices of 1989. As is presented in the bar graph, prices of the house got down in New York, Tokyo and London during 1990 to 1995 while the prices increased in London & New York during 1996 to 2002 compared with their 1989 levelscompared to the prices of those houses in 1989. The chart shows thatAccording to the bar graph, house prices in Madrid and Frankfurtthe prices of houses in Madrid and Frankfurt increased by 2–3%by 2-3% between 1990 and 1995during 1990 – 1995 whereas prices fellwhile the prices decreased in New York, Tokyo and London by roughly 5–8%by 5 to 8% overin the same period compared to the prices of those houses in 1989. Interestingly during the period 1996 to 2002, the prices in all cities except Frankfurt increased. House-price increasesPrice increases of housing were 5% in New York, 4% in Madrid4% Madrid, and over 11% in London relative to 1989 levelscompared to their prices in 1989. The only city where the prices decreased in 1996 to 2002 compared to the previous 5 years was Frankfurt.
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response organises the two periods clearly and accurately reports several major movements, particularly the sharp rise in London and the first-period falls. Its account of 1996–2002 is weakened by saying that every city except Frankfurt rose, when Tokyo fell and Frankfurt rose, and by omitting their correct figures. Check the direction and value for every series before forming the overview.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The first period and several major figures are reported accurately, but the overview and details for Tokyo and Frankfurt in 1996–2002 are substantially incorrect.
Check all five cities in both periods and state that Tokyo remained below the 1989 level while Frankfurt recorded a slight increase.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response follows a generally clear period-by-period progression, although repetition and the lack of paragraph breaks weaken organisation.
Use a separate overview and one detail paragraph for each period, with comparisons grouped consistently.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient vocabulary for describing changes, but several phrases are repetitive or unnatural, such as got down and spans of periods.
Use precise trend language such as fell, rose, remained below, and percentage-point change.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses both simple and complex sentences, but errors in articles, prepositions, and comparative phrasing occur regularly.
Review noun phrases and comparison structures, including forms such as a 4% rise in Madrid and compared with 1989.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below shows information about changes in average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.