The table illustrates the percentage of UK visitors to Spain in 1981 and 2015, categorized by different age groups.

UK Visitors Spain 1981 2015 Age Groups Table - 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 9 · 198 words.

The table illustrates the percentage distribution of visitors from the UK to Spain across different age groups in 1981 and 2015.

Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that the age profile of tourists changed significantly over the period. While middle-aged visitors dominated in 1981, a more balanced distribution can be seen in 2015, with noticeable increases among younger and older age groups.

To begin with, people aged 25–35 made up the largest proportion of visitors in 1981, accounting for 50%. However, this figure declined considerably to 32% in 2015. A similar downward trend can be observed in the 35–45 age group, which fell from 22% to 12%. In contrast, the proportion of visitors aged 16–24 rose sharply from just 4% in 1981 to 15% in 2015, indicating growing interest among younger travelers.

Turning to the other groups, those aged 0–15 experienced a slight increase from 10% to 12%. Meanwhile, the most significant growth was seen among visitors aged 55 and over, which climbed from 16% in 1981 to 25% in 2015. Overall, the data suggests that Spain became more popular with both younger and older tourists over time, while the share of middle-aged visitors declined.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptional Task 1 response that meets all the criteria for Band 9. It provides a clear, concise, and highly accurate summary of the data with a sophisticated overview and precise linguistic control.

Task Achievement - 9

- The response fully addresses all requirements of the task, providing a comprehensive and accurate summary of the table data. - The overview is sophisticated, identifying not just the individual changes but the overarching shift toward a more balanced age distribution. - Key features are skillfully highlighted, such as the dramatic decrease in the 25-35 age group and the significant rise in the 55+ demographic.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- The progression of ideas is effortless and logical, moving from the most dominant groups to the smaller cohorts. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', 'accounting for') are used naturally and do not attract attention to themselves. - Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the overview, the downward trends, and the upward trends.

Lexical Resource - 9

- A wide range of vocabulary is used with precision and natural control (e.g., 'age profile', 'declined considerably', 'upward trend', 'more balanced distribution'). - Rare and sophisticated collocations like 'percentage distribution' and 'proportion of visitors' are used accurately. - There are no spelling or word-formation errors.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- A wide range of complex structures is used with full flexibility and accuracy, such as participle clauses ('indicating growing interest') and relative clauses. - Tenses are used correctly throughout, accurately reflecting the comparison between the two past years. - Punctuation is flawless.

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