The chart below shows the average price per kilo of clothing imported into the European Union from seven major countries of origin in 1997 and 2003.

Average price per kilo of clothing imported into the European Union from seven major countries - 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 · 221 words.

The bar chart compares the average price per kilogram of clothing imported into the European Union from seven major countries in 1997 and 2003. Overall, Argentina had the highest average price per kilogram in 1997, while Bangladesh recorded the lowest figure in both years. By 2003, China, India, Bangladesh and Turkey had experienced increases, whereas Argentina and Japan saw declines. Brazil remained unchanged.

Looking first at the countries that experienced increases, the figure for China stood at approximately £12 per kilo in 1997 before rising significantly to £19 in 2003, representing the largest increase. Similarly, the figure for India stood at £9 per kilo in 1997 before increasing to £14 in 2003. Meanwhile, the figure for Bangladesh amounted to approximately £5 per kilo in 1997 before rising to £8 in 2003, recording the lowest figure. Finally, Turkey started at around £22 per kilo in 1997 before rising to £24 per kilo by 2003.

Turning to the remaining categories, Argentina stood at around 31 pounds per kilo in 1997 before falling to 29 pounds per kilo in 2003, recording the highest figure. The figure for Japan accounted for roughly 18 pounds per kilo in 1997. Following this, it decreased to 16 pounds per kilo in 2003. In contrast, Brazil stood at 26 pounds per kilo and remained relatively unchanged until the 2003.

Examiner feedback

The response is a well-structured and accurate description of the chart comparing clothing imports in 1997 and 2003. It successfully covers all key features, presents a clear overview, and maintains strong grammatical control with minor mechanical errors.

Task Achievement - 7

- All requirements of the task are appropriately covered, comparing all seven countries across both 1997 and 2003. - A clear overview is presented in the introduction, identifying the main trends and the highest/lowest values successfully. - Key data points and figures are accurately selected and supported with specific values from the chart.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- The response is logically organized with clear paragraphing, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by grouped body paragraphs. - Cohesive devices such as "Overall", "Looking first at", and "Turning to" are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. - Progression is clear throughout, with appropriate referencing of the two given years.

Lexical Resource - 7

- A sufficient range of vocabulary is deployed to describe trends, figures, and changes (e.g., "experienced increases", "saw declines", "stood at"). - Collocations are generally natural, though some phrasing like "the figure for Argentina" could be varied slightly to avoid repetition. - Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A good mix of simple and complex sentence structures is used accurately to compare data across the two years. - Grammar and punctuation are generally well-controlled with frequent error-free sentences. - Minor slips occur, such as "until the 2003", but these do not impede communication.

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