The table below shows the change in the percentages of people joining in seven different sports in an European country from 1999 to 2009.

Change Percentages People Joining Seven Different Sports European Country 1999 to 2009 - 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 · 220 words.

The given table depicts the changes in the percentages of people participating in seven different sports, namely tennis, swimming, football, golf, volleyball, basketball, and yoga, in a particular European country over a decade, from 1999 to 2009.

Generally, most sports -- tennis, swimming, golf, volleyball, and yoga -- experienced growth overall throughout the provided timeframe, with the exception of football and basketball, which declined slightly. Notably, despite a fall in the percentage, football maintained the highest position.

Regarding 1999, football stood out as the most prominent category, at 57%, followed by swimming and basketball, 32% for the former and 26% for the latter. While tennis accounted for 25%, volleyball and yoga showed considerably lower figures, amounting to 17% and 10% respectively. Golf made up only 8%, making it the lowest figure.

In terms of 2004, while football ranked first at 52%, swimming (34%) and tennis (30%) represented noticeably smaller percentages. This was followed by basketball at 25%, while volleyball stood at 20%. Golf accounted for 13%, compared to yoga at 10%, which remained stable from 1999.

Looking at 2009, football remained the most popular sport with 48%, while swimming ranked second with 34% and tennis held the third position with 33%. Basketball participation exceeded volleyball, at 24% and 18% respectively. Golf accounted for 17% whereas yoga remained lower at 13%.

Examiner feedback

This is a very strong and clear response. It captures all the data accurately and provides a logical progression that is easy to follow. To reach a Band 9, the student could attempt to group the data by trend (e.g., one paragraph for increasing trends and another for decreasing/fluctuating trends) rather than purely chronological paragraphs, which would demonstrate more sophisticated data analysis.

Task Achievement - 8

The response covers all the requirements of the task appropriately and sufficiently. - A very clear and effective overview is provided, identifying both the general upward trends and the specific downward trends. - All seven sports are included and their data points are accurately reported across the three years. - Key features (like Football being the highest and Yoga/Golf being the lowest) are highlighted and supported with figures.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

Information and ideas are logically sequenced with a clear progression through time. - Paragraphing is used appropriately, with a separate paragraph for each year which makes the data easy to follow. - Cohesive devices such as 'the former/the latter', 'compared to', and 'respectively' are used accurately and effectively. - Referencing is clear (e.g., 'which remained stable'), ensuring the reader doesn't have to guess which data point is being discussed.

Lexical Resource - 8

A wide range of vocabulary is used to convey precise meanings. - Sophisticated choices such as 'depicts', 'prominent category', 'exceeded', and 'stood out' are used correctly. - Collocations are natural (e.g., 'experienced growth', 'maintained the highest position'). - Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

A wide range of structures is used flexibly and accurately. - The majority of sentences are error-free. - There is a good mix of simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses ('which declined slightly') and participle phrases ('making it the lowest figure'). - Punctuation is well-managed, including the correct use of dashes and commas.

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