The graph below shows the unemployment rates in the US and Japan between March 1993 and March 1999.
Sample Response
The given line graph compares the unemployment rate in two countries: the US and JapanUS and Japan from 1993 to 1999. As is observed from given graph, initially unemployment rate in the US was much higher than it was in Japan. But after a specific gap of years, the US managed to resolve the problem of crucial unemployment. Interestingly, after a few yearsafter few years unemployment rate in Japan rosemagnified significantly. As shown in the graphAs is presented in above line graph, it can be seen clearly, in 1993 the unemployment rate in the USin 1993 unemployment rate in the US was exactly 7.0 percent and over the six-year periodafter six years period, it slumped to approximately 4.2 percent in March 1999approximately 4.5 percent in 1999. By contrastOn contrary, in 1993 Japan's unemployment rate was around 2.5 percentJapan was full of prosperity and its unemployment rate was around 2.5 percent. Unfortunately, six years later, the situation had reversedafter six years situation changed completely and the unemployment rate in Japan rose to about 4.7 percentsurged over 4.5 percent respectively. Interestingly, Japan'sJapan job market showed opposite trend tothan US job market. Ultimately, US managed to overcome the problematic situation of unemployment in 1999. Apart from this unemployment in Japan increased overallkept on soaring year by year and reached about 4.7 percent in March 1999reached to 4.5 percent in 1999. Finally, Japan's unemployment rate ended higher than that of the USunemployment issue of Japan became severe compared to the USA.
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response conveys the central contrast between falling US unemployment and rising Japanese unemployment, with broadly accurate endpoints. Its main limitation is that it repeats this contrast instead of describing the fluctuations and late crossover, while subjective claims about prosperity and resolving unemployment go beyond the graph. Prioritise selecting distinct visual features and reporting them neutrally with precise comparative language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main opposing trends and approximate endpoints are reported, but fluctuations and the late crossover are largely omitted and several interpretations are unsupported.
Describe the irregular movement and crossover near the end while removing claims about prosperity, severity, or solving unemployment.
Coherence and Cohesion
The central comparison is easy to follow, but repeated ideas, mechanical linking, and the absence of paragraphing weaken progression.
Use an introduction, a concise overview, and grouped detail paragraphs so each key feature is developed once.
Lexical Resource
The response attempts varied trend vocabulary, but frequent inappropriate choices such as "magnified", "crucial unemployment", and "full of prosperity" reduce precision.
Choose neutral graph vocabulary such as "rose", "declined", "fluctuated", and "overtook".
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Simple and complex structures are attempted, but frequent missing articles, faulty prepositions, and awkward noun phrases reduce accuracy.
Edit systematically for articles and fixed phrases, including "the US", "in contrast", and "reached 4.5 percent".
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph below shows the unemployment rates in the US and Japan between March 1993 and March 1999.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.