The chart bellow gives information about library borrowing in UK public libraries over a 10-year period from 1995 to 2005.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The chart bellow gives information about library borrowing in UK public libraries over a 10-year period from 1995 to 2005.

Library borrowing in UK public libraries over ten year period 1995 to 2005 - 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 Library borrowing in UK public libraries over ten year period 1995 to 2005
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Library borrowing in UK public libraries over ten year period 1995 to 2005

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 167 words.

The bar chart illustrates the number of books and audio-visual materials borrowed from UK public libraries in 1995, 2000 and 2005, measured in millions.

Overall, the total number of borrowings declined considerably over the period. Children's books experienced by far the largest decrease, while adult non-fiction remained relatively stable. In contrast, the borrowing of audio-visual materials increased.

In 1995, children's books were the most commonly borrowed items,at 1,113 million. This figure fell dramatically to 161 million in 2000 and then to just 110 million in 2005. Adult fiction also decreased, although much less sharply, from 330 million in 1995 to 280 million in 2000 and 230 million in 2005.

The figure for adult non-fiction changed only slightly during the period. It stood at 107 million in 1995, rose to 114 million in 2000, and then declined marginally to 104 million in 2005. Finally, borrowing of top audio-visual materials increased steadily, from only 28 million in 1995 to 33 million in 2000, before reaching 60 million in 2005.

Examiner feedback

The response is exceptionally well-written, demonstrating strong control over all four IELTS assessment criteria. It features a clear, well-structured overview, accurate and relevant data selection, sophisticated vocabulary, and a wide range of grammatically sound sentence structures.

Task Achievement - 8

- All requirements of the task are fully and appropriately satisfied with comprehensive coverage of the data. - Key features are skilfully selected, highlighted, and supported by accurate figures from the chart. - A clear and comprehensive overview identifies the main trends and differences across the categories.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Paragraphing is well-managed with a clear introduction, overall trend summary, and distinct body paragraphs. - Cohesive devices such as "In contrast", "while", and "then" are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. - Information is logically sequenced from general overview to specific details and trends.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A rich range of vocabulary is used appropriately to describe trends and figures (e.g., "declined considerably", "remained relatively stable", "marginally"). - Word formation and spelling are entirely accurate. - Collocations related to data reporting are natural and sophisticated.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of sentence structures is used accurately and flexibly throughout the response. - Grammar and punctuation are well-controlled with frequent error-free sentences. - Complex structures are handled smoothly to report statistical changes.

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