The bar chart shows the number of homes, each worth 5 million dollars or more, sold in eight cities.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The bar chart shows the number of homes, each worth 5 million dollars or more, sold in eight cities.

Homes Worth 5 Million Dollars or More Sold Eight Cities - 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.

IELTS Writing Task 1 chart for Homes Worth 5 Million Dollars or More Sold Eight Cities
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Homes Worth 5 Million Dollars or More Sold Eight Cities

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 ยท 235 words.

The bar chart illustrates how the number of houses sold for more than US$5 million changed across eight different cities between 2009 and 2014.

Overall, it is clear that London recorded by far the highest figure, whereas that for Dubai was the lowest over the period. While London and Dubai increased substantially, Singapore decreased notably. Meanwhile, the number of sold houses in the other remaining cities grew noticeably and remained lower than that of London.

Regarding the cities with significant growth, despite being the dominant city and recording 523 in 2009, London's figure merely tripled to 1,638 by the end of the timeframe. A similar pattern was observed in New York and Hong Kong, with the former rising from 476 to 796 and the latter from 388 to 596, although they remained relatively lower than that in London. Likewise, Dubai experienced the largest growth, quadrupling its figure from 12 to 46, though it was the lowest in 2014.

As for the cities with more modest growth, the number of sold houses in Miami rose notably from 256 to 312, which was slightly higher than that of Los Angeles, representing a moderate growth from 178 to 214. Similarly, Sydney, starting at 151, experienced noticeable growth to 258, surpassing the figure of Los Angeles. Unlike the other cities, Singapore followed an opposite pattern, dropping its figure from 107 to 74 and remaining higher than that of Dubai.

Examiner feedback

This is an excellent response that clearly identifies trends and provides precise data. The organization is logical, and the language used to describe changes and comparisons is sophisticated and accurate. The only minor area for improvement is even more varied comparative phrasing.

Task Achievement - 9

- All requirements of the task are fully satisfied, including a clear overview and accurate data presentation. - Key features are skillfully selected and highlighted, with effective comparisons between cities (e.g., London vs. Dubai, Singapore's opposite trend). - The response provides specific data points for all eight cities for both the start and end years.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information and ideas are logically sequenced with a clear overall progression throughout the report. - Paragraphing is used effectively, grouping cities by growth patterns (significant vs. modest growth). - Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'meanwhile', 'despite', and 'likewise' are used naturally and accurately.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A wide range of vocabulary is used fluently to convey precise meanings (e.g., 'recorded by far the highest figure', 'tripled', 'quadrupling', 'notably'). - Collocations are used skillfully (e.g., 'dominant city', 'observed in', 'modest growth'). - There is successful use of varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease'.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of structures is used, including complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions and participle phrases. - The majority of sentences are error-free, showing strong control over grammar and punctuation. - Minor errors, such as 'remaining higher than that of Dubai' (which was technically always true but could be phrased more precisely regarding trends), do not impede communication.

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