The charts give information about the average amount of time per day spent on reading for pleasure and listening to music by different age groups in New Zealand.

Average Minutes Per Day Spent Reading Pleasure Listening Music New Zealand - 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 · 244 words.

The bar chart compares five different age groups - 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, and 55+ - in terms of their average minutes per day spent on reading for pleasure and listening to music in New Zealand. Units are measured in minutes per day.

From an overall perspective, it is clear that reading is the most popular among ages 55+, while 15-24 aged individuals stood at the lowest level. However, 15-24 aged people spent the most of the time on listening to music, whereas 35-44 ages witnessed the lowest share. Notably, adults from 35–44 years old showed an equal interest in both activities.

According to the first chart, reading is the most common leisure activity among people over 55 years old, accounting for an hour per day. The age group from 45–54 ranks second, with 50 minutes per day, followed by the 35–44 age group at 45 minutes. Meanwhile, individuals from 25–34 utilize a half hour for reading, and the youngest group spent only 20 minutes on reading, the lowest amount.

By stark contrast, people from 15–24 spend the most time listening to music for relaxation, with 80 minutes. This is followed by the oldest group, representing 75 minutes. Surprisingly, there is a similarity between the 25–34 and 45–54 age groups, illustrating 60 minutes spent listening to music. Finally, people from 35–44 spent the least time listening to music, showing a similar time to people of the same age who prefer reading at 45 minutes.

Examiner feedback

This is a strong Band 7.0 response. It provides a very clear overview and accurately reports the data. To reach a higher band, focus on more sophisticated data comparison and refining word choices to ensure they perfectly match the data type (minutes vs percentages).

Task Achievement - 7

- The response covers all requirements of the task and presents a clear overview identifying the main trends for both activities. - Key features are clearly highlighted with accurate data support from the charts. - While all data points are covered, the comparison between the two charts could be more integrated rather than treating them almost entirely separately.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Paragraphing is logical, with a clear introduction, overview, and separate body paragraphs for each activity. - Cohesive devices such as 'Notably', 'By stark contrast', and 'Meanwhile' are used effectively to guide the reader. - The progression of ideas is clear, though some referencing could be more sophisticated (e.g., repeated use of 'spent').

Lexical Resource - 7

- The vocabulary is sufficient to provide a clear description, with good use of synonyms like 'leisure activity', 'utilize', and 'ranks second'. - There is some awareness of style and collocation, such as 'accounting for' and 'stark contrast'. - Some repetition of 'minutes per day' and slightly awkward phrasing like 'witnessed the lowest share' (share is usually for percentages) are noted.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A variety of complex structures are used, such as 'while 15-24 aged individuals stood at the lowest level' and 'illustrating 60 minutes spent'. - The majority of sentences are error-free, with good control over tense and punctuation. - Minor errors in preposition usage and phrasing (e.g., '35-44 ages' instead of 'the 35-44 age group') prevent a higher score.

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