The graph below shows different sources of air pollutants in the UK from 1990 to 2005.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The graph below shows different sources of air pollutants in the UK from 1990 to 2005.

Different sources of air pollutants in the UK from 1990 to 2005 - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 chart for Different sources of air pollutants in the UK from 1990 to 2005
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Different sources of air pollutants in the UK from 1990 to 2005

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 8.5 ยท 202 words.

The chart compares the amount of air pollution produced by the transport, industrial and household sectors in the UK, together with the overall level of emissions, between 1990 and 2005.

Overall, the industrial sector was the largest source of air pollution at the beginning of the period, although its emissions declined considerably over time. By contrast, pollution from the transport and household sectors was much lower and changed less dramatically.

In 1990, the total amount of air pollution was about 7 million tonnes. The industrial sector produced the highest level of pollution, at approximately 5.8 million tonnes. In comparison, both the transport and household sectors generated around 1 million tonnes each. Industrial emissions then fell sharply to about 5 million tonnes in 1993 and continued to decline to around 3 million tonnes in 1996. Meanwhile, transport emissions remained relatively stable, while household emissions showed a slight decrease.

Between 1999 and 2002, pollution from both the industrial and household sectors continued to decline, whereas transport emissions increased moderately before returning to their 1996 level. During the final years of the period, emissions from all three sectors remained fairly stable. By 2005, the overall level of emissions had fallen to approximately 3 million tonnes.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptionally strong response that demonstrates a high level of English proficiency. The writing is clear, the data is well-organized, and the grammatical control is near-perfect. To achieve a perfect 9 in Task Achievement, ensure every trend mentioned is supported by a specific data point from the axes.

Task Achievement - 8

- All requirements of the task are satisfied; the response includes the overall trend and specific sector data. - Key features are clearly highlighted, though the description of the transport sector between 1999 and 2002 could have been supported with a specific figure for the peak. - The overview is clear and accurately summarizes the main trends of the graph.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- Paragraphing is expertly managed with a logical chronological and thematic flow. - Cohesive devices like "In comparison," "Meanwhile," and "whereas" are used naturally and vary the sentence structure. - The progression from the introduction to the overview and then into detailed data is seamless.

Lexical Resource - 9

- Precise vocabulary is used to describe trends, such as "declined considerably," "fell sharply," and "remained relatively stable." - Lexical variety is evident in the use of synonyms for pollution sources and emission levels. - Collocations are very natural and typical of a high-level academic report.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- A wide range of complex structures is used with full flexibility and accuracy. - Tenses are used perfectly, including the past perfect ("had fallen") to indicate a status at a specific point in the past. - Punctuation is flawless throughout the response.

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