The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000.
Sample Response
The bar graph gives data on different transportation systems that people used in a European city in three decades- 1960, 1980 and 2000 and also compares how the habit of going to work and returning home had changed over the 40 years period. Overall, with the widespread use of cars, people's tendencypeoples' habit of cyclingusing bikes and walking declinedreduced noticeably. Initially, in 1960, a large proportion of commuterslots of people used to commute either on foot or by bicycleby a bike, 35% and roughly 27% respectivelyconsecutively compared to only about 7% travelling by carabout 7% private cars and about 20% travelling by busabout 20% bus usage. After 20 years, the number of car and bus users soared noticeably to 25% and to nearly 28%. The share of car users grewThe car users grew more than threefoldmore than 3 times over 20 years and in 1980in the same year, people travelling on foot fell to less than half its 1960 levelfell to less than half as it was in 1960. In 2000, only 10% of commuters10% work-goers walked, only about 7% of people7% people rode a bicycle compared to 17% travelling by bus18% bus users and about 37% travelling by car38% private car users. In 1960, the majority of the people travelled to and from work on foot or using a car but the scenario became completely different after 40 years when most of the people used cars or buses.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response gives a clear overview of the shift from walking and cycling towards cars and reports nearly all figures and changes accurately across the three years. Its main limitation is the final 1960 summary, which incorrectly pairs walking with cars rather than bicycles, contradicting the earlier correct data. Prioritise checking concluding comparisons against the chart and refining recurring percentage and comparison structures.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main transport shift and almost all supporting values are accurate, with one incorrect final reference to cars among the dominant 1960 modes.
Ensure the final synthesis matches the detailed figures by identifying walking and cycling as the leading modes in 1960.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response follows a clear chronological progression from 1960 to 2000, though the single paragraph and contradictory final sentence weaken cohesion.
Separate the overview from the yearly details and use the conclusion only if it adds an accurate synthesis.
Lexical Resource
There is adequate trend and transport vocabulary, but several awkward choices such as ‘consecutively’, ‘work-goers’, and ‘scenario’ reduce precision.
Use standard terms including ‘respectively’, ‘commuters’, ‘mode of transport’, ‘rose’, and ‘declined’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied structures communicate the comparisons, but recurring errors affect articles, possessives, percentage phrases, and comparative constructions.
Use forms such as ‘7% of people’, ‘less than half the 1960 figure’, and ‘over a 40-year period’.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.