The bar chart below shows the percentage of the population in the UK who consumed the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

Percentage of population in UK who consumed recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables in 2002 2006 and 2010 - 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.

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 7 · 215 words.

The bar chart compares the proportion of the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables consumed by the UK population between 2002 and 2010, at 4-year intervals. Overall, there was a similar pattern in every year. Additionally, while women recorded the highest figures the reverse was true for children whereas men were the runner-ups throughout the period.

In 2002, men consumed twice as much as the amount of fruit and vegetables compared to the percentage for children, at 22% and 11% respectively. Women, by contrast, were the leaders at consuming the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables, at 25%, three-percentage-points higher relative to the figure of men.

By 2006, a similar pattern was observed. 32% of women consumed the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables, which was twice as high as the figure for children, at 16%. 28% of men, on the other hand, ate the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, which was six-percentage-points higher than the previous year.

In the final year, the disparity between the figures of women and men became less pronounced, with respective figures of 27% compared to men’s 24%. 14% of children met the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables, which was 13 percentage points and 10 percentage points less than female and male counterparts, respectively.

Examiner feedback

This is a strong response that clearly communicates the main trends and data points of the chart. The overview is effective, and the comparisons between genders and age groups are well-articulated. To reach a higher band, the candidate should aim to reduce the repetitive nature of certain phrases and ensure more precise time-related vocabulary.

Task Achievement - 7

- The response covers all requirements of the task, including a clear overview identifying that women had the highest consumption and children the lowest. - Key features and trends are highlighted and supported with accurate data from the chart. - Comparisons are made effectively between the different groups (men, women, children) and across the time periods.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is organized chronologically, which provides a clear and logical progression through the time periods. - Cohesive devices such as "By contrast," "on the other hand," and "respectively" are used effectively to link ideas and data points. - Paragraphing is appropriate, with each paragraph focusing on a specific year, though a trend-based organization could have been even more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource - 7

- The vocabulary range is sufficient to describe trends and comparisons (e.g., "disparity," "less pronounced," "counterparts"). - There is some repetition of the long phrase "recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables," which could have been paraphrased to improve variety. - Word choice and collocations are mostly accurate, contributing to a clear and formal tone.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A variety of complex structures is used, including comparative clauses and relative clauses (e.g., "which was twice as high as"). - The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is generally well-managed throughout the response. - Tense usage is consistent and appropriate for describing historical data.

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