The bar chart illustrates the changes in car ownership across households in a specific European nation between 1971 and 2001.

Changes in car ownership across households in specific European nation between 1971 and 2001 - 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 bar chart compares the proportions of households with no car, one car and two cars in a particular European country over a 30-year period, from 1971 to 2001.

Overall, car ownership became increasingly common throughout the period. While the percentage of households without a car declined steadily, the proportions owning one or two cars generally increased. By the end of the period, one-car households had become the most common category.

In 1971, households with no car accounted for approximately 48%, making this by far the largest group. Around 35% of households owned one car, whereas only about 16% possessed two cars. A decade later, the share of carless households had fallen to 40%, while one-car ownership slipped slightly to 30%. In contrast, the proportion of families with two cars rose markedly to roughly 26%.

The trend became more pronounced in the following years. In 1991, the percentage of households owning one car climbed sharply to about 47%, overtaking the figure for those without a car, which had dropped to around 28%. Meanwhile, two-car ownership decreased modestly to approximately 18%.

By 2001, one-car households remained the dominant group at 40%. The proportion of households without a car declined further to roughly 26%, while the percentage owning two cars recovered to around 26%, matching the figure for households with no car.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptionally strong Task 1 response that effectively covers all visual data with a clear overview and precise figures. The organization, lexical variety, and grammatical control easily place this essay in the top band range.

Task Achievement - 8

- All requirements of the task are fully addressed, covering all categories across the entire timeframe. - A clear and comprehensive overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main overarching trends. - Key features are skilfully selected and supported with accurate data from the chart.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information and ideas are logically sequenced with a clear chronological progression. - Paragraphing is used effectively, separating the introduction, overview, and distinct time periods. - Cohesive devices such as "Meanwhile", "In contrast", and "By the end of the period" are used naturally and accurately.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A wide vocabulary resource is used flexibly and precisely to describe trends and proportions. - Appropriate collocations such as "carless households" and "proportion of families" are integrated smoothly. - Word formation and spelling are completely accurate.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of complex sentence structures is used accurately and flexibly. - Punctuation and sentence boundaries are well controlled throughout. - Grammar is virtually error-free, demonstrating excellent command of tense and clause structures.

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