The graph below gives information from Annual Energy Outlook 2008 about consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projection until 2030.
Sample Response
The graph shows consumption of energy in the U.S. since 1980 with projections through 2030.
The historical trends show Petrol and Oil as the major sources of fuel, rising from 35 quadrillion (35q) units used in 1980 to about 42 quadrillion units in 201542q in 2012. Despite some fluctuation between 1980 and 1995, there was a steady increase, which is expected to continue, reaching about 49 quadrillion units in 203047q in 2030.
Consumption of energy from natural gas and coal followed a similar pattern over the period. From 20q and 15q respectively in 1980, gas showed an initial fall and coal a gradual increase, with the two fuels equal at about 18 quadrillion units in 1990equal between 1985 and 1990. Consumption has fluctuated since 1990 but both now provide 24q. Coal consumption is projected to rise to 31q in 2030, whereas after 2014, natural gas is forecast to remain stable at 25q.
In 1980, energy from solar/wind, nuclear, and hydropower were the least-used sourceswas the least-used, at roughly 3–4 quadrillion units eachwith only 4q. Nuclear has risen by 3q, and solar/wind by 2. Since 2005, hydropower has fallen to about 3 quadrillion units, slightly below its 1980 levelfallen back to the 1980 figure. It is expected to remain approximately constant through 2030, while the others are projected to rise gradually after 2025.
Overall, fossil fuels will remain the chief energy sourcessource for the US, with much lower consumption from nuclear, hydropower, and solar/winda little bit of hydroelectric, nuclear and a smidgen of renewables like wind and solar.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is clearly structured and successfully captures the dominant role of petrol and oil, the contrasting coal and gas forecasts, and the much lower consumption of the other fuels. Its main limitation is numerical precision, including the understated 2030 petrol-and-oil figure and some loosely dated values. Prioritise checking every reported figure and year against the axes, while replacing informal descriptions with objective academic wording.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main trends and comparisons are well selected, but several figures or dates are approximate and the 2030 petrol-and-oil value is understated.
Verify each numerical claim against the graph, especially the final petrol-and-oil level of about 49 quadrillion units.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses clearly from the dominant fuel to the middle pair and then the three least-used sources, with a focused overview.
Place the overview immediately after the introduction so readers receive the main pattern before the detailed figures.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a broad and generally precise range for trends and projections, though 'a little bit' and 'a smidgen' are too informal.
Use objective quantitative phrasing such as 'considerably smaller amounts' for the least-consumed sources.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex clauses and comparisons are handled with strong control, and errors are rare and non-impeding.
Maintain consistent parallel phrasing when grouping three sources and describing their separate changes.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph below gives information from Annual Energy Outlook 2008 about consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projection until 2030.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.