The given graph shows the past figures of government spending as a percentage of GDP for the years 2000 to 2025 in three areas.

Government spending as a percentage of GDP for the years 2000 to 2025 in three areas - 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 · 214 words.

The line graph illustrates the changes in the proportion of government expenditure on three different public services over a period of twenty-five years, commencing in 2000.

Overall, it is evident that while the share of spending allocated to health followed an upward trajectory, the opposite was true for education. Notably, the figure for roads and railways consistently recorded the lowest figure, whereas the highest figure was invested in health for most of the period.

In 2000, the highest figures in terms of government spending belonged to the education sector, accounting for roughly 5%, which was followed by a steady decline, reaching just under 4% in 2025. In stark contrast, health expenditure began at 4% in 2000 but rose sharply, exceeding education around 2003 at approximately 4.8%. The allocation for health continued its upward path, peaking at 7.5% in 2025 to become the single largest expenditure area by a significant margin.

Regarding expenditure on roads and railways, it stood at 4.0% in 2000, on par with health spending. This figure experienced a slight increase to roughly 4.5% in 2005 before dropping sharply to its lowest point of 3.0% in 2010. Thereafter, spending on infrastructure recovered moderately to 4.0% by 2020, before dipping again to finish at 3.5% in 2025, remaining below both health and education.

Examiner feedback

The response is exceptionally well-written, demonstrating strong control across all four evaluation criteria. It features a clear overview, accurate data selection, logical paragraphing, and sophisticated vocabulary paired with precise grammar.

Task Achievement - 8

- All requirements of the task are fully satisfied, with a clear and comprehensive overview presented in the second paragraph. - Key features such as trends, peaks, and intersections are skilfully selected, highlighted, and supported by accurate figures from the graph. - Data is accurately categorized and compared without any notable omissions or lapses.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Paragraph organization is logical, with a clear introduction, well-defined overview, and appropriately split body paragraphs covering specific time periods and categories. - Cohesive devices such as "In stark contrast", "Regarding", and "Thereafter" are used effectively to link ideas and guide the reader. - The overall progression is smooth and easy to follow, with clear referencing throughout the text.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A wide resource of vocabulary is used fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings regarding trends and data points. - Less common items and collocations such as "upward trajectory", "single largest expenditure area", and "on par with" are employed effectively. - Word choice and spelling are accurate throughout with no noticeable lexical errors.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of sentence structures, including complex and compound forms, is used with high accuracy and flexibility. - Grammar and punctuation are meticulously controlled, with error-free sentences dominating the response. - Control of tense consistency, particularly when describing historical and projected data over the 2000-2025 timeline, is well-managed.

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