The graph shows the sales of five types items in four different seasons at a departmental store in the US in 2011

Five Item Sales Four Seasons US Department Store 2011 Line Graph - 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 bar chart illustrates the sales of five different product categories in a US department store across four seasons in 2011, with figures given in US dollars.

Overall, women’s clothes were consistently the best-selling items throughout the year, showing a steady increase in sales. In contrast, the other categories experienced more variation, with most of them reaching their highest levels in autumn.

In winter, sales of women’s clothes stood at approximately 40,000 dollars, significantly higher than the other products. Men’s clothes, sports equipment, and cosmetics had relatively similar figures, ranging between 25,000 and 30,000 dollars, while jewellery recorded the lowest sales at just under 20,000 dollars.

In spring and summer, sales of women’s clothes rose steadily to around 60,000 and 80,000 dollars respectively. Sports equipment peaked at 40,000 dollars in spring before declining slightly in summer. Meanwhile, cosmetics and jewellery showed gradual growth, with both categories reaching close to 30,000 dollars by summer.

By autumn, all categories experienced an increase. Women’s clothes reached a peak of approximately 110,000 dollars, maintaining a clear lead. Jewellery and cosmetics also saw significant growth, rising to about 50,000 and 45,000 dollars respectively, while men’s clothes and sports equipment recorded more moderate increases.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptional response that meets all the criteria for Band 9. It provides a crystal-clear overview, selects the most relevant data points for comparison, and uses a sophisticated range of vocabulary and grammatical structures with precision and ease.

Task Achievement - 9

- The response fully satisfies all requirements of the task, including a clear introductory paraphrase and a highly effective overview. - Key features (highest seller, seasonal trends, and comparisons between categories) are skillfully selected and highlighted. - Data is used accurately and sufficient detail is provided to support the descriptions without becoming a mechanical list of every figure.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- Information is logically sequenced with a very clear progression, moving from a general overview to specific seasonal breakdowns. - Paragraphing is managed expertly, grouping the seasons logically to allow for comparisons. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'In contrast,' 'Meanwhile,' 'By autumn') are used naturally and facilitate effortless reading.

Lexical Resource - 9

- The vocabulary is sophisticated and precise, using terms like 'consistently,' 'variation,' 'recorded,' and 'moderate increases.' - There is excellent variety in how trends are described (e.g., 'rose steadily,' 'peaked,' 'declining slightly,' 'gradual growth'). - Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- A wide range of structures is used with full flexibility, such as participial phrases ('maintaining a clear lead') and complex comparisons ('significantly higher than...'). - The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly to aid clarity. - Tenses are used accurately to reflect the past timeframe (2011).

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