The pie charts below show the percentage of students on one adult education center taking various courses offered in 1985 and this year.

Percentage of students on one adult education center taking various courses offered in 1985 and this year - 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 · 186 words.

The two pie charts compare the proportions of students enrolled in various courses at an adult education centre in 1985 and the present year.

Overall, students’ preferences changed considerably over the period. While modern languages was the most popular course in 1985, IT, which was not offered at that time, has become the leading subject this year. Fitness and dance, however, remained unchanged.

In 1985, modern languages accounted for the largest proportion of students, at 24%, followed closely by fitness and dance at 22%. Art represented 17% of enrolments, while local history and cookery attracted 15% and 14% respectively. Music appreciation was the least popular course, making up only 8% of the total.

This year, IT has emerged as the most popular subject, accounting for 27% of students. The proportion taking fitness and dance has remained stable at 22%, while cookery has increased from 14% to 19%. By contrast, enrolment in modern languages has fallen considerably, from 24% to 17%, and the figure for art has declined slightly to 15%. Meanwhile, local history and music appreciation are no longer shown among the courses taken this year.

Examiner feedback

This response is an excellent example of Band 9 writing. It provides a highly accurate summary of the data, features sophisticated vocabulary and grammar, and is organized perfectly for a native-like flow.

Task Achievement - 9

- All requirements of the task are fully satisfied, including a clear overview of the main changes. - Every data point from the two pie charts is accurately captured and compared where relevant. - The student identifies key features such as the emergence of IT and the disappearance of Local History and Music Appreciation.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and specific data paragraphs. - Cohesive devices such as 'While', 'By contrast', and 'Meanwhile' are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader. - Information flows seamlessly from the 1985 data to the current year comparisons.

Lexical Resource - 9

- The range of vocabulary is sophisticated and appropriate for the task (e.g., 'enrolled', 'proportions', 'emerged', 'stable'). - Lexical choices are precise and natural for describing data and trends. - No errors in spelling or word formation are present.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- A wide range of structures is used with full flexibility and precision. - The response is entirely error-free, demonstrating a high level of control over complex grammatical forms. - Punctuation is managed perfectly throughout, enhancing the clarity of the comparisons.

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