The graph below shows the percentage of households with different kinds of technology in the US from 1995 to 1999.

Percentage of US Households with Technology 1995-1999 - 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 6.5 · 174 words.

The line graph compares five different types of technology - washing machine, computer, phone, the Internet, and DVD player - in terms of their proportion of households in the US from 1995 up until 1999. Units are measured in percentage.

From an overall perspective, it is clear that all categories experienced an upward trend, albeit with varying levels. Of particular note is washing machine, which maintained a dominant position throughout the whole period.

As far as washing machine is concerned, it started at 60% in 1995 before breaching the 80% threshold by 1999. Meanwhile, computer rose drastically to 70% by 1999 after commencing at 40% in 1995. When it comes to phone, the figure stood at about 18% in 1995, prior to reaching a high of 75% by 1999.

By contrast, the Internet climbed drstically to 50% by 1999, having began at only 10% in 1995. DVD player, on the other hand, recorded approximately 25% in 1995 before dropping markedly to 15% by 1996. Thereafter, there was a steady growth to 40% by 1999.

Examiner feedback

The response provides a clear and well-organized summary of the data with a solid overview. While the progression is logical, the overall score is slightly held back by repetitive grammar errors and spelling mistakes. Focusing on article usage and verb forms will significantly improve the band score.

Task Achievement - 7

- The response covers all requirements of the task and provides a clear overview of the upward trends. - Key features are highlighted, such as the dominance of the washing machine and the sharp rise in phone ownership. - Some data points are slightly inaccurate based on standard interpretations of this specific graph (DVD players usually start at 0 in 1995 in this dataset), but the internal logic is consistent.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is logically organized with a clear progression from the overview to specific data groups. - Cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile', 'By contrast', and 'Thereafter' are used effectively to link ideas. - Paragraphing is appropriate, though the transition between technology types could be even smoother.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Vocabulary is generally adequate with some good attempts at varied verbs like 'breaching', 'commencing', and 'stood at'. - There are spelling errors ('drstically') and some repetitive phrasing. - The use of 'breaching the threshold' is a bit dramatic for this context but shows range.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- A mix of simple and complex structures is used, including participial phrases ('having began'). - There are noticeable grammatical errors, specifically verb tense/form issues ('having began' instead of 'having begun'). - Frequent omission of articles before technology names (e.g., 'washing machine' instead of 'the washing machine').

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