The bar charts below show the number of hours each teacher spent teaching in different schools in four different countries in 2001.

Same questionCompare 2 different answers (Band 7–7.5)

Sample Response

1

The bar graph outlines the average time teachers spent teaching at three school levelsduration a teacher spent on three different levels in four different countries in 2001. Overall, the teaching hours at the secondary level werewas higher than those at the primary levelthat of primary level and the US teacherstutors spent more time teaching than the teachers in the other three countries did. A US teacher spent about 750 hours teachingspent more than 700 hours to teach primary students in 2001 while a Japanese educator spentdisbursed exactly 600 hours for teaching the same levelgraders. Time allocated to teaching elementary studentsstudent by a Spanish teacher was 50 hours higher than those of a Japanese teacherthat of Japanese teacher but it was less than 600 hours in Iceland. An American teacher’s average teaching timeaverage schooling duration in 2001 for lower secondary students was 1000 hours which was 300 to 400 hours higher than the teaching duration by a teacher in the other three countries. Finally, upper-secondary studentshigher secondary students received almost 1200 hours’ lectures by a teacher in the US and this duration was noticeablynoticeable higher than of other countries. In Japan, an upper secondary level teacher taught for 700 hours in 2001, almost 500 hours less than that of a US teacher. In Iceland and Spain, teaching time for an upper-secondary teacherteaching duration by a higher secondary level teacher was approximately 900 hours, about 300 hours less than that of an American teacher.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response presents a clear overview and accurately compares the main teaching-hour patterns, with especially strong coverage of primary and upper-secondary figures. Its main weakness is imprecise wording and a small numerical overstatement in the lower-secondary comparison, so the highest-priority improvement is to use natural data-reporting collocations and check every stated range against the chart.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TA

Task Achievement

8.0
Scoring rule

A clear overview and well-selected comparisons describe nearly all main patterns accurately, although the stated US lower-secondary margin is slightly overstated for Spain.

Next step

Check each numerical comparison against the chart and state the US-Spain gap as about 250 hours.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0
Scoring rule

The response progresses clearly from the overview through primary, lower-secondary and upper-secondary comparisons, despite relying on one dense detail paragraph.

Next step

Divide the details into two purposeful paragraphs, for example primary figures first and both secondary levels second.

LR

Lexical Resource

6.5
Scoring rule

There is enough range for precise comparison, but several awkward choices such as 'disbursed' and 'schooling duration' reduce naturalness.

Next step

Use standard chart language such as 'taught for', 'teaching hours' and 'figures for' consistently.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

6.5
Scoring rule

Complex comparisons are generally controlled, but article, plural and comparative-form errors recur in phrases such as 'elementary student' and 'noticeable higher'.

Next step

Proofread noun phrases and comparative structures, especially articles, plural endings and adverb forms such as 'noticeably higher than'.

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

The bar charts below show the number of hours each teacher spent teaching in different schools in four different countries in 2001.

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