The chart shows the employment status of adults in the US in 2003 and 2013

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The chart shows the employment status of adults in the US in 2003 and 2013

Employment Status Adults US 2003 2013 Bar Chart - 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 Employment Status Adults US 2003 2013 Bar Chart
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Employment Status Adults US 2003 2013 Bar Chart

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 ยท 229 words.

The bar chart illustrates how the employment status of adults changed in the US between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, it is clear that the percentage of self-employed people was the highest, whereas unemployed people accounted for the lowest figure by the end of the period. While the proportion of self-employed people increased significantly, that of the business sector experienced the sharpest fall. Meanwhile, the other categories recorded less pronounced changes.

Regarding the categories with upward trends, the percentage of self-employed people tripled from just above 10% to around 30% over the period, surpassing the business sector. Unlike the figure for self-employed people, those in education and training and the building sector grew substantially from 8% to 18% for the former and doubled from 10% to 20% for the latter, though they remained below the percentage of self-employed people. Likewise, the hotel industry experienced more pronounced growth, rising from just below 5% to 19%, slightly lower than that of the building sector.

As for the remaining categories, an opposite pattern was observed. Although the business sector was the largest category, at 47% in 2003, its figure declined substantially to 27%, becoming the second-largest category by 2013. In stark contrast, employment in the medical sector and the proportion of unemployed people, starting at 20% and 11% respectively, halved to 10% and 5%, with the latter becoming the lowest category by 2013.

Examiner feedback

This is a very strong response that effectively categorizes data and uses high-level vocabulary to describe trends. The logical organization and accurate data reporting meet the requirements for a high band score.

Task Achievement - 8

- The response covers all requirements of the task, providing a clear overview and highlighting key features. - Data comparisons are accurate and skillfully selected to show shifts in the labor market (e.g., the business sector losing its top spot). - The overview identifies main trends (increases vs. decreases) effectively, though the categorization of 'less pronounced changes' in the overview slightly conflicts with the 'substantial' growth described later.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Paragraphing is logically managed with a clear introduction, overview, and two detailed body paragraphs categorized by trend direction. - Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'unlike', and 'in stark contrast' are used effectively to signal relationships between data points. - Referencing (e.g., 'the former', 'the latter', 'its figure') is used accurately to avoid repetition.

Lexical Resource - 8

- Uses a sophisticated range of vocabulary for describing trends: 'pronounced growth', 'declined substantially', 'tripled', and 'halved'. - Collocations are natural and precise (e.g., 'accounted for the lowest figure', 'recorded less pronounced changes'). - Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of complex structures is used with a high degree of accuracy (e.g., 'surpassing the business sector', 'starting at 20%... halved to 10%'). - Tense usage is consistently correct, appropriately using the past simple to describe completed actions in 2003 and 2013. - Punctuation is well-managed, contributing to the overall clarity of the complex sentences.

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