IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 – Sample Test

Task Question

The chart below shows the percentage of households in three different countries (USA, UK, and Japan) that owned a personal computer between 1990 and 2010.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Percentage of households with a computer in USA, UK, and Japan (1990–2010)

Figure: Percentage of households with a computer (1990–2010)

Sample Answer (Band 7.5–8)

The line chart illustrates the proportion of households that owned a personal computer in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan over a twenty-year period, from 1990 to 2010.

Overall, computer ownership increased significantly in all three countries, with the USA maintaining the highest levels throughout the period, while Japan lagged behind despite noticeable growth.

In 1990, around 25% of American households had a computer, compared to just 15% in the UK and approximately 10% in Japan. By the year 2000, ownership had roughly doubled in each country, with the USA reaching just over 50%, the UK approaching 35%, and Japan slightly above 20%.

The most striking changes occurred between 2000 and 2010. Computer ownership in the USA soared to about 80%, while the UK also experienced rapid growth, surpassing 70%. Japan, although still the lowest among the three, rose steadily to almost 50% by the end of the period.

In summary, while all three countries witnessed substantial increases in computer ownership, the USA consistently led, the UK gradually narrowed the gap, and Japan, although improving, remained behind.

Analysis of the Answer

  • Strengths:
    • ✔️ Clear overview early in the response.
    • ✔️ Accurate data reporting with logical comparisons.
    • ✔️ Good academic vocabulary such as "penetration," "escalation," and "disparity."
  • Weaknesses:
    • ❌ Limited reference to mid-point years (1995, 2005) weakens depth of analysis.
    • ❌ Sentence variety could be improved with more conditionals and concessive clauses.
    • ❌ Cohesive devices are repetitive; a broader range would improve flow.
  • Stronger Synonyms & Alternatives:
    • “increased significantly” → “rose markedly,” “expanded sharply”
    • “lagged behind” → “remained well below,” “consistently trailed”
    • “soared” → “skyrocketed,” “climbed dramatically”
    • “steadily” → “progressively,” “at a consistent pace”
  • Practical Advice for Improvement:
    • 🔹 Mention intermediate years to show deeper engagement with the data.
    • 🔹 Vary sentence openings: e.g., “Whereas the US maintained dominance, the UK demonstrated remarkable catch-up.”
    • 🔹 Use advanced connectors: “in contrast, nevertheless, conversely, notwithstanding.”
    • 🔹 Add cause–effect: “This rise suggests computers became a necessity rather than a luxury.”
    • 🔹 Use conditionals: “Had Japan grown at the same pace, it would have exceeded 60% by 2010.”
  • Band Justification:

    The response is a solid Band 7.5–8 with a clear overview, accurate comparisons, and appropriate vocabulary. To push towards Band 9, the student should demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility, integrate more data points, and use a wider variety of cohesive devices. With these adjustments, the answer would meet the highest criteria.

Answer Analysis & Feedback (تحلیل و بازخورد)

✔️ Strengths (نقاط قوت)

  • Clear overview presented at the beginning.
  • 👈 شروع جواب با خلاصه کلی انجام شده که برای نمره بالا ضروری است.
  • Accurate use of figures and logical comparisons.
  • 👈 داده‌ها دقیق گزارش شده و مقایسه‌ها منطقی هستند.
  • Varied vocabulary such as “penetration,” “escalation,” “disparity.”
  • 👈 استفاده از واژگان آکادمیک و متنوع باعث ارتقای نمره می‌شود.

⚠️ Weaknesses (نقاط ضعف)

  • Limited reference to intermediate years (e.g., 1995, 2005).
  • 👈 داده‌های سال‌های میانی نادیده گرفته شده، عمق تحلیل کم شده است.
  • Sentence variety is not strong (few conditionals or concessives).
  • 👈 تنوع ساختار جمله پایین است؛ از جملات شرطی و امتیازی کمتر استفاده شده.
  • Cohesive devices repeated (while, although).
  • 👈 اتصال‌دهنده‌ها تکراری هستند و باید گسترده‌تر باشند.

🌈 Stronger Synonyms (مترادف‌های قوی‌تر)

  • “increased significantly” → “rose markedly,” “expanded sharply”
  • “lagged behind” → “remained well below,” “consistently trailed”
  • “soared” → “skyrocketed,” “climbed dramatically”
  • “steadily” → “progressively,” “at a consistent pace”
  • 👈 یادگیری این مترادف‌ها دامنه لغات شما را برای Writing بالا می‌برد.

💡 Practical Advice (پیشنهادهای کاربردی)

  • Include intermediate data: “By 1995, the UK figure had already doubled…”
  • 👈 سال‌های میانی را حتماً ذکر کنید.
  • Vary sentence openings: “Whereas the US maintained dominance, the UK caught up.”
  • 👈 همیشه با نام کشور شروع نکنید، جمله‌بندی متنوع کنید.
  • Use advanced connectors: “in contrast, nevertheless, conversely.”
  • 👈 اتصال‌دهنده‌های حرفه‌ای به کار ببرید.
  • Add cause–effect: “This rise suggests computers became a necessity.”
  • 👈 علت و نتیجه را توضیح دهید.
  • Try conditionals: “Had Japan grown at the same pace, it would have reached 60%.”
  • 👈 جملات شرطی سطح بالاتری از گرامر را نشان می‌دهند.

🎯 Band Justification (توجیه نمره)

Overall, the response is Band 7.5–8 with a clear overview, accurate comparisons, and appropriate vocabulary. To push towards Band 9, the student should demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility, integrate more data points, and use a wider variety of cohesive devices.

👈 این پاسخ در سطح ۷.۵ تا ۸ است. برای رسیدن به ۹ باید از ساختارهای گرامری متنوع‌تر استفاده شود، داده‌های بیشتری (سال‌های میانی) ذکر گردد و اتصال‌دهنده‌ها گسترده‌تر انتخاب شوند.