The chart below shows sales of three categories of magazines (fashion, music, and sports) in a particular region over five weeks.

Sales of three categories of magazines in particular region over five weeks - 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 8 · 161 words.

The line graph compares three distinct categories of magazines, namely, fashion, music, and sports, in terms of the sales in millions of dollars over a 5-week period.

Overall, all categories exhibited an upward trajectory, albeit to varying extents. Notably, the sales of music experienced a steady rise, whereas the sales of fashion and sports magazines showed some fluctuations throughout the period.

The sales of music magazines in week 1 stood at approximately $47 million, prior to rising consistently to $80 million at the end of the period.

The remaining two categories—sports and fashion—followed different patterns. The figure for the former in week 1 was about $75 million, significantly higher than the latter at approximately $38 million. Over the ensuing weeks the sales of the sports magazines climbed to $120 million through slight volatility. As for the fashion, it declined abruptly to $20 million by week 3 before staging a resurgence to $60 million at the end of the timeframe.

Examiner feedback

The response is exceptionally well-written, demonstrating strong control across all four IELTS assessment criteria. It features a clear overview, precise data selection, sophisticated vocabulary, and accurate grammatical structures, making it a strong Band 8 submission.

Task Achievement - 8

- All requirements of the task are fully satisfied, accurately covering the three categories over the 5-week period. - Key features are skilfully selected, clearly presented, and appropriately supported with precise figures from the chart. - A clear and comprehensive overview is provided, highlighting the main trends and differences effectively.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Paragraphing is well-managed with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing the data. - Cohesive devices such as "Notably", "whereas", and "The remaining two categories" are used effectively to guide the reader. - Information flows logically from overall trends to specific data points.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A wide range of vocabulary is used accurately and appropriately to describe trends and figures (e.g., "upward trajectory", "fluctuations", "abruptly", "resurgence"). - Minor spelling and word formation are accurate with natural collocations. - Good use of synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of sentence structures, both simple and complex, is used accurately and flexibly. - Grammar and punctuation are exceptionally well controlled with almost no errors. - Clauses are integrated smoothly, enhancing the readability of the response.

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